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With ASIC recently issuing new guidance to fund issuers on how to avoid greenwashing, it is now more important than ever to discuss how managers can avoid distorting the environmental, sustainable or ethical credentials of their products.
Lonsec has notes a significant rise in the issuance of “green” funds and also the re-badging of existing funds to claim ESG credentials via the fund’s name. Also on the rise is the inclusion of ESG type claims or targets within the prospectus investment objective for a fund.
In the next Lonsec Sustainability webinar, Tony Adams, Head of Sustainability Research at Lonsec Research, will lead a panel discussion on greenwashing, how managers are approaching fund naming, arguments for including ESG type factors in investment objectives and how managers are responding to the increased demands for proof of ESG claims or activities
There will be a dedicated Q&A session in the webinar.
Pannellists:
• Tony Adams, Head of Sustainable Investment Research, Lonsec (Moderator)
• Damian Cottier, co-head of ESG and PM for Perennial Better Future Trust, Perennial
• Kerry Series, Chief Investment Officer and Founder, NorthStar Impact Funds
• Nana Li, Head of Sustainability & ESG, Asia-Pacific, Associate Director, IMPAX Asset Management, Fidante
Tony Adams
Head of Sustainable Investment Research, Lonsec
Tony joined Lonsec in March 2019 and is responsible for the ESG assessment of funds across all sectors and as well broad oversight of the assessment of sustainable, ethical, ESG and impact capabilities across managers. He is responsible for Lonsec’s sustainability reporting framework (Lonsec’s BEE’s) for funds.
Prior to joining Lonsec, Tony has had 30 years’ experience in global fixed interest markets, most recently as Head of Global Fixed Interest and Credit at Colonial First State Global Asset Management, where he developed the firm’s global credit capability and oversaw the implementation of ESG across portfolios.
Nana Li
Head of Sustainability & ESG, Asia-Pacific, Associate Director
Nana joined Impax in 2022, and is responsible for leading Impax’s sustainability and ESG research and advocacies in Asia-Pacific. Nana researches, prioritizes and organizes ESG engagements with Impax’s investee companies, manages external sustainability and ESG-related inquiries, and assists in the ongoing development of the Impax proprietary ESG-analysis and methodologies.
Prior to joining Impax Nana worked as the Research and Project Director, covering China, at the Asian Corporate Governance Association (ACGA). At ACGA, Nana published five significant reports relating to corporate governance research in Asia. Whilst there she also presented to the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges, the Shenzhen Asset Management Association, and spoke at international conferences hosted by a number of financial institutions and international organisations, including Emerging Markets Investors Alliance, GRI, AmCham Shanghai, and the International Corporate Governance Network.
Nana has an MBA from the University of Chicago (Honors), a Master of Finance from the University of Hong Kong (Dean’s List), and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales (Distinction). She is a CFA charterholder.
Kerry Series
CIO and Founder, NorthStart Impact Funds
Kerry is the founder of NorthStar Impact and is responsible for overseeing the portfolio management and research into impact stocks. Kerry has advised or invested in equities since 1992, and his investment experience includes several senior roles. In 1999 he co-founded Perennial Investment Partners, which achieved strong investment performance and reached $20 billion in assets under management within eight years. The equity funds managed by Kerry at Perennial were consistently highly ranked.
He was Head of Asia Pacific Equities at AMP capital where he was responsible for three investment teams that managed approximately $5 billion of assets. Kerry also spent time in Hong Kong where he was an Investment Director for HSBC Asset Management.
Kerry is a major shareholder of Northstar Impact. He has a Bachelor of Science (Economics) from Birkbeck College, University of London; is a Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA); and holds a UK Securities Industry Diploma. In 2018, he completed the Impact Measurement program at Oxford University.
Damian Cottier
Co-head of ESG and PM for Perennial Better Future Trust, Perennial
Damian joined Perennial Value in May 2005. Damian is Co-Head of ESG as well as the Portfolio Manager of the Perennial Better Future Trust and Co-Portfolio Manager of the Perennial Value Australian Shares Trust. He has responsibility for analysing stocks in a number of sectors, including insurance and media.
Damian joined Perennial in 2002 and he has accumulated considerable experience during this time as a senior analyst in small, mid and larger capitalisation stocks. He also has experience as a dealer and previously as portfolio manager of the Perennial Value Microcap Opportunities Fund.
Prior to joining Perennial, Damian worked as a lawyer in Sydney and Hong Kong with Freehills, Gilbert+Tobin and Baker & McKenzie. During this time, he worked primarily in the corporate law area, often on matters involving governance issues and mergers and acquisitions.
