Solactive has launched the Solactive UBS Development Bank Bond Index Family, a new family of financial benchmarks targeting the World Bank and other high-grade development bank debt.
Solactive writes that the family is the result of a partnership between Solactive and UBS and follows the launch of an increasing number of ESG strategies by the German index engineer. “This time, however, the Solactive UBS Development Bank Bond Index Family focuses on a field of sustainable investment that has not been widely explored before – development banks.”
Development banks are supranational institutions that gather funds for development projects with positive social and environmental impact. Solactive writes that purposes of these projects can vary greatly, however, the majority are covered in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Thanks to the indices, investors will be able to support an economic development agenda by investing in large baskets of fixed income instruments issued by high-grade financial institutions. In addition, the family can be used as a transparent benchmark for active managers interested in the performance of the development bank sector.
Steffen Scheuble, CEO of Solactive, says: “Indices play a critical role in attracting capital to sustainable development. They enable investors to gain efficient, standardised access to relevant instruments and can help deepen liquidity and issuance. Partnering with large institutions such as UBS helps us develop these offerings and bring them to a wider audience.”
Axel Weber, Chairman of UBS Group, says: “UBS has committed to channelling more capital towards meeting sustainable development targets. Indices for World Bank and other highly rated development bank debt enable investors to allocate more to sustainable high-grade debt overall. They also help development banks fund their activities.”
