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Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Columbia Threadneedle Investments is a leading global asset management group that provides a broad range of investment strategies and solutions for individual, institutional and corporate clients around the world. Columbia Threadneedle joined the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative in October 2021 and made its Initial Target Disclosure in November 2022.

Initial Target Disclosure: November 2022

Percentage of assets covered by the Net Zero Asset Managers Commitment Statement

7.36% of total AUM (USD $43.5 billion)

Information on interim target(s) covering the proportion of assets to be managed in line with net zero

Baseline(s):

2019

Portfolio decarbonisation reference baseline

We are taking a bottom-up approach whereby we analyse each portfolio for inclusion individually. There is no entity-wide baseline. Instead, we have a portfolio-level baseline of 2019.

Target(s):

2030

Portfolio decarbonisation reference target

At the individual portfolio level, we compare financed emissions intensity to a reference pathway. This pathway is based on each portfolio’s own benchmark, starting at 2019 and decreasing by 50% by 2030. The ultimate goal is net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.

GHG scopes included:

Coverage of different scopes of emissions varies by asset class. Coverage for large, listed companies in developed markets tends to be high. Coverage for smaller companies, private companies and companies in emerging markets tends to be lower.
In sectors where Scope 3 emissions are material, our company-level assessment covers disclosure, and for certain companies considers whether targets cover all relevant scopes.

Methodology:

Net Zero Investment Framework

Own/other methodology

Scenario(s):

We use the IPCC special report on global warming of 1.5°C as a basis, which states that for global emissions pathways that feature ‘no or limited overshoot’, global GHG emissions need to decline by 45% by 2030 from 2010 levels. According to the UNFCCC, global GHG emissions grew by 11% between 2010 and 2011. Therefore, a 50% reduction from 2019 levels is needed by 2030.

Additional information

Proportion of AUM committed:

We are implementing our commitment in stages, aiming for a robust approach by analysing funds and portfolios individually and ensuring a thorough governance and approval process in the implementation of our net zero methodology.
Currently, 7.36% of our overall AUM, or approximately US $43.5 billion, is being managed in line with reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner.
This figure represents the actual and current state of implementation of our net zero methodology across 74 pooled funds and segregated mandates invested in the equity, corporate debt, and real estate asset classes. Out of these, 47 are regulated pooled funds managed for clients in the UK and Europe, representing 31% of our OEIC and 65% of our SICAV assets.

Policy on coal and other fossil fuel investments:

Portfolios using the net zero approach (which mainly comprise a subset of our OEIC and SICAV fund ranges, and some segregated mandates) have exclusions relating to companies with specific coal exposures. However, we would note that as a firm we do not operate any policy restricting or prohibiting investment in companies engaged in the exploration, production, use, transportation, or sale of fossil fuel-based energy sources.

Further information:

We have set an expectation that companies representing at least 70% of financed emissions in equity and corporate bond portfolios committed to using a net zero methodology should be either aligned or engaged. We are implementing this at an individual portfolio level, rather than across our aggregate holdings, in line with our overall approach.

Additional information regarding methodologies: Net Zero Investment Framework is used for equities and corporate bonds, and Own/Other is used for direct real estate.

For details on our methodology for equities and corporate fixed income, please click here.

For our TCFD report ‘Climate change: managing risks and opportunities’, please click here.

For further information relating to our RI commitments and strategy, please see Responsible investment | Columbia Threadneedle Investments