Smart beta specialist Ossiam has rolled out an ETF designed to tackle the destruction of global biodiversity.
Said to be the first of its kind, the strategy takes a quantitative approach in order to achieve a measurable reduction in the biodiversity footprint of the food and agriculture sector.
Ossiam chief executive Bruno Poulin warned that “if current food production methods and diets are not drastically improved, there are likely to be calamitous environmental, social and political outcomes”.
“Mobilising capital and engaging with companies in the broad food and agriculture sectors is one way of making a positive contribution to the immense environmental challenges facing humanity now,” he added.
The firm said portfolio construction typically leads to a fund with a 99% reduction in negative biodiversity impact – the equivalent of saving 218 km² of pristine habitat for $100 million invested.
Ossiam’s research team partnered with Iceberg Data Lab to develop metrics.
The Ossiam Food for Biodiversity Ucits ETF has been listed on the Xetra exchange in Germany.
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