Thursday 5 March 2020

BlackRock broadens range of sustainable exchange-traded funds

BlackRock is broadening its range of sustainable exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with three new products for investors looking to manage long-term risks relating to environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors.

BlackRock aims to make sustainability its standard for investing and says it hopes to provide its clients "with a growing set of options to invest sustainably".

In January, BlackRock committed to doubling its offering of iShares ESG ETFs and index funds by the end of 2021 - two of the new ETFs are ESG equivalents of existing ETFs, while the third combines exposure to "transformative forces shaping the global economy" with ESG criteria.

Stephen Cohen, Head of iShares EMEA at BlackRock, said: “Just as investors have embraced index investing for efficient, transparent and scalable market exposures in traditional portfolios, ETFs are enabling investors to actively pursue sustainability objectives and take control of their investment outcomes.

"Providing ESG equivalents to our flagship products while providing innovative thematic products will further steepen the ETF adoption curve, as investors seek out the most efficient market exposure tools with which to navigate markets."