MAPFRE AM expands its line of sustainable mutual funds

MAPFRE AM, which is the MAPFRE Group’s asset management firm, has expanded its line of funds that allow its clients to pursue not only financial returns, but social returns as well, with three more of its funds classified as Article 8 by Luxembourg’s regulatory authority (CSSF), based on the European Union’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR).

Specifically, these are the MAPFRE AM European Equities fund, focused on European equities; the MAPFRE AM Iberian Equities fund, which primarily invests in equities from Spain; and the MAPFRE AM Good Governance fund, which seeks out companies with good corporate governance practices.

All three of these products were previously available, but ESG criteria have now been incorporated into their investment decisions. “This represents another step forward in our commitment to increasing our line of sustainable products. Traditionally, these funds have always done well, but now we’ve given them an important qualitative enhancement, by focusing on investments that help improve society and the environment. Moreover, our work in this area is still ongoing, so we can continue to add more funds like these in the future,” explains Álvaro Anguita, Managing Director of MAPFRE AM.

Specifically, work is now being done to obtain Article 8 (SFDR) classification for the MAPFRE AM Global Bond Fund, which was created by merging two other funds in early 2021: the MAPFRE AM Global Bond Fund, which invested in a worldwide selection of fixed-income securities, and the Capital Investment Spain International Fund, which had been managed since 1993 by Amundi exclusively for the MAPFRE companies. The resulting fund now continues to pursue investment opportunities in the various international sovereign and corporate bond markets, including those in both developed and emerging economies.

Inclusion and environment

The funds described above are now joining the MAPFRE AM Responsible Capital fund, which is a mixed fund that emphasizes environmental and social characteristics, and the MAPFRE AM Responsible Inclusion fund, an Article 8 product with a strategy oriented towards companies committed to inclusion of people with disabilities in the workplace. In addition, as part of its catalog of alternative funds, MAPFRE launched its MAPFRE Renewable Energies II fund at the end of last year, which is Europe’s first fund dedicated entirely to biomethane, classified as Article 9 under the SFDR.

MAPFRE’s addition of products within that category brings with it a series of obligations, such as the need to issue an annual report that describes how the investments have made a real contribution to social and environmental initiatives.

Sustainability and business strategy

MAPFRE continues to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability by integrating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria into its business strategy and investment decisions. In addition to developing sustainable investment products, the company is also evaluating the MAPFRE Group’s carbon footprint, providing ESG training to its investment teams, and producing a socially responsible investment guide that can be implemented by its personnel.

Its 2024-2026 Sustainability Plan also includes some ambitious goals, such as setting a target so that in 2026, 95% of its global investment portfolio will be classified using ESG criteria; reducing the carbon emissions generated by its investment portfolio by 20%; and ensuring that at least 50% of MAPFRE AM’s new and updated products comply with sustainability criteria.

Along these same lines, it should also be emphasized that the company is pursuing other public objectives, such as refusing to invest in coal, natural gas, or petroleum companies unless they have made a commitment to an energy transition plan.