Sustainability concerns us all

…and it doesn’t stop at the topic of investing. The subject of sustainability is gaining relevance in the financial industry, as evidenced by the steadily growing interest of private and institutional investors. According to Morningstar, up to $2.47 trillion were invested in sustainable investments in the first half of 2022. And the trend is upward.

Although the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) points out that there are currently no minimum standards for sustainable investments, ESG criteria are gaining ground. ESG stands for environment, social, and governance, and they attempt to take a holistic view of sustainable investing and its many facets.

UnitPlus is the top performer in Blackrock’s GreenSpirit evaluation

At UnitPlus, we have consciously decided to only launch portfolios that actively incorporate these criteria in the portfolio construction. In doing so, we paid close attention to balanced diversification, optimal allocation of invested funds to various investment opportunities worldwide, and actively considered the sustainability criteria.

To this end, we participated in the GreenSpirit evaluation initiated by Blackrock in the summer of 2022 with our Mont Blanc portfolio. This portfolio invests 60% in equities and 40% in bonds, and thus in over 800 companies and countries worldwide. 

A total of 23 portfolios from various financial service providers participated in the study. Our portfolio is the most sustainable of all 23 portfolios, with an MSCI ESG Quality Score of 9.1 out of 10.0. In addition, with a rating of AAA, the portfolio is also rated as a leader in implementing sustainability criteria. 

We can be proud of this together. Nevertheless, there is still room for improvement in our Mont Blanc portfolio as well. For example, while the intensity of our portfolio’s carbon emissions is well below the study average, our portfolio can also be geared even more toward achieving the 1.5-degree target. In other words, limiting global warming to a maximum of 1.5 degrees compared with the pre-industrial era.

At UnitPlus, the entire value chain benefits, with our users leading the way

At UnitPlus, we will continue structuring our portfolios in such a way that they are composed of an optimal mix of diversification and sustainability so that long-term good investment returns go hand in hand with sustainable investment criteria. Incidentally, anyone who thinks that a more sustainable investment goes hand in hand with a weaker return is mistaken. On the contrary, the global efforts to make our world more sustainable benefit companies that are particularly well positioned in this respect. This should be reflected in rising profits and, thus, rising share prices. 

However, UnitPlus’ sustainability criteria impact is not limited to investing. Instead, they also have a positive effect on payments. While classic payment methods access money invested in bank accounts without sustainability criteria, the money at UnitPlus actively works until it is used in sustainable and professionally managed portfolios. With UnitPlus, investing becomes more sustainable, and so does paying. 

We will continue to drive innovation in the field to enrich all players in the value chain positively.