E Fund Management Champions Biodiversity with New ESG Strategies to Drive Sustainable Finance

E Fund Management, China's largest mutual fund manager, has taken a proactive step to further enhance biodiversity in its ESG, or Environmental, Social, and Governance, strategies. The move comes in step with unprecedentedly increased attention paid worldwide toward biodiversity, and it has been held amid high awareness created by yet another international COP 16 United Nations Biodiversity Conference held in Cali, Colombia, and PRI in Person in Toronto. E Fund shared the new research that evaluates biodiversity risks in investment portfolios, introducing the growing necessity of aligning environmental protection with overall finance. Global leaders worldwide were brought together at COP 16 to discuss the ambitious Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This is set to restore at least 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. Against this backdrop, E Fund has consistently upgraded its ESG practices ever since it set up a proprietary ESG rating system in 2018. The new development addresses one of the biggest headaches for the sector: the paucity of biodiversity data. It now represents the very first Chinese mutual fund manager to join the PRI's Spring initiative—a collaborative effort of over 200 institutions worldwide to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. Strengthened biodiversity-conscious investment strategies were achieved in October as E Fund entered into a research collaboration with the Central University of Finance and Economics. Under the terms of this partnership, they co-designed a new biodiversity risk analysis methodology specific for financial institutions that enhances rigor and depth for E Fund's ESG evaluation framework. It was part of a larger commitment on the side of the E Fund to drive sustainable finance through the embedding of biodiversity concerns within investment strategies. The following is evidence of E Fund's commitment to biodiversity and responsible investment, as testified by their products: the E Fund ESG Responsibility Investment Equity Fund, the E Fund CSI Yangtze River Protection ETF, and the E Fund CSI SE Carbon Neutral ETF. The funds allocated for sustainable development sectors follow China's dual goals of reductions in emissions and support for environmental restoration. By purchasing these products, stakeholders support efforts in line with the national environmental objectives of the country and also support international efforts focused on biodiversity conservation. Conclusion E Fund was launched in 2001 as a company with a leading responsible investment position focused on long-term sustainable returns for a broad client base, including sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and pension funds. E Fund solidifies its leading position in China's asset management industry towards sustainable finance, with a portfolio of more than RMB 3.5 trillion (USD 505 billion). Its biodiversity deal as part of the ESG strategy makes it both a strategic move and a commitment to global conservation efforts, making E Fund one of the pioneers in responsible investing.   Source: PTI