Allianz invests in firms with sustainable business practices

In its drive to be a fully-sustainable company by 2050, Allianz PNB Life keeps a strong focus on investing in companies with sustainable business practices that deliver long-term value via its Peso-Hedged Global Sustainability Equity Fund.

The equity fund was promoted during the company’s recent Sustainability Forum, where speakers from different industries talked about climate change and the environment and how individuals, companies, and governments can help address its various concerns.

The Peso-Hedged Global Sustainability Equity Fund gives its holders the opportunity to invest in global equity markets of developed countries. It prioritizes investments in companies with sustainable practices, and its hedging component minimizes the risk of exchange rate movements, adding further protection for investors. 

The equity fund is in line with Allianz’s Sustainable Investing, which incorporates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into investment decisions to better manage risks and generate sustainable, long-term results. It came about as traditional financial analysis has been found to be inadequate to cope with hidden risks and failed to capture opportunities.

Globally, Allianz has been declared the world’s most sustainable insurer for three years running by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

In the Philippines, it has launched a number of sustainability projects that include its support of the Lucio Tan Group’s Project Canopy, which involves the reforestation of the Cordilleras, and the launch of e-Sakay, electronic jeepneys that ply the Makati and Mandaluyong routes.

Benjamin Yong, Allianz Global Investors SG Regional Channel Sales Manager, discussed the environmental factors that go into Allianz’s Sustainable Investing, which covers companies’ carbon footprint, water usage, waste management, and pollution mitigation. 

Guest speakers from other sectors likewise presented insights, research, and solutions on various sustainability-related topics. 

Arnold Grant S. Belver, EnP, Senior Science Research Specialist of the Policy Research and Development Division of the Climate Change Commission, talked about “Resilience—How Families Should Prepare for Climate Change.”

Antonito Miguel R. Ramos, EnP, a Licensed Urban Planner and Innovation Manager for Palafox as well as a member of the Philippine Institute of Environmental Planners (PIEP), spoke about “Adaptation - Making Resilient Cities and Families.”

Rosalina de Guzman, Chief of the Climate Data Section of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) discussed how people can cope during an environmental crisis through her talk, “Bracing Ourselves for the Inevitable Effects of Climate Change - Water Crisis, Calamities, Power Interruption, and Food Supply Shortage.”