We aim to provide our unit-linked customers with sustainable options by offering Article 8 or Article 9 labelled funds in accordance with the Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR).
We are proud to be able to offer our Athora Netherlands and Athora Belgium customers the choice of selecting sustainable funds for their unit-linked products. We adhere to the Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR) fund classification, where:
Article 8 is defined as a fund which promotes, among other characteristics, environmental or social characteristics, or a combination of those characteristics, provided that the companies in which the investments are made follow good governance practices; and
Article 9 is defined as a fund that has sustainable investment as its objective or a reduction in carbon emissions as its objective.
In the Netherlands, nearly 90% of funds offered to our unit-linked customers are categorised as either Article 8 or Article 9. We have seen great uptake among our customers with 97% of actual unit-linked assets under management (AuM) invested in Article 8 or Article 9 funds.
Similarly in Belgium, over 80% of our funds offered to unit-linked customers are categorised as Article 8 or Article 9, and over 80% of unit-linked AuM is invested in such funds. We expect the focus on sustainable funds to grow across the Group as the awareness of the importance of green and sustainable finance increases.
Since joining Athora Group in August 2022, Athora Italia has launched an Article 8 SFDR-compliant internal fund in a hybrid product.