Key Impact Points:
- Strategic Collaboration: UBS Global Wealth Management partners with Rockefeller Asset Management to launch the UBS Rockefeller Ocean Engagement Fund, targeting financial returns and positive ocean health impact.
- Blue Economy Focus: The fund aligns with UBS’s blue economy investment theme, identifying markets worth over USD 1.1 trillion, including wastewater treatment, plastic recycling, and sustainable aquaculture.
- High Conviction Portfolio: The fund includes around 50 high conviction stocks, emphasizing small and mid-cap companies with a value tilt, aiming for long-term real returns and positive ocean health outcomes.
- Enhanced Shareholder Engagement: Leveraging Rockefeller’s expertise and partnership with The Ocean Foundation, the fund emphasizes active investor engagement to foster ocean conservation and sustainable use of resources.
Strategic Collaboration for Ocean Health
UBS Global Wealth Management (GWM) has partnered with Rockefeller Asset Management to launch the UBS Rockefeller Ocean Engagement Fund. This fund aims to deliver financial returns while positively impacting ocean health by engaging with companies addressing critical ocean issues.
Bruno Marxer, Head of Global Investment Management at UBS Global Wealth Management, stated:
“We are pleased that through our close collaboration with Rockefeller Asset Management we can offer our clients access to this major structural growth theme, using our innovative engagement framework. Not only does it enable portfolio diversification in times of market uncertainty, but it offers exposure to multiyear growth prospects as the world seeks to transition toward more nature-aligned and equitable economic systems.”
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Focus on Blue Economy Investments
The fund aligns with UBS’s long-term blue economy investment theme, which identifies markets worth more than USD 1.1 trillion, including wastewater treatment, waste management, plastic recycling, and sustainable aquaculture. With the OECD projecting the blue economy’s value to reach USD 3 trillion by 2030, this fund positions investors to capitalize on significant growth opportunities as businesses adapt.
Casey Clark, President and Chief Investment Officer at Rockefeller Asset Management, added:
“Leveraging Rockefeller’s 30-plus years of investment experience and distinctive network to bridge the gap between science and investing, we believe the UBS Rockefeller Ocean Engagement Fund is a compelling opportunity for investors seeking uncorrelated returns and ocean health impact via shareholder engagement. We look forward to working with UBS to provide their clients with innovative, impact strategies featuring broad access to our deep intellectual capital and award-winning research.”
High Conviction Portfolio and Engagement Strategy
The fund includes approximately 50 high conviction stocks, focusing on small and mid-cap companies with a value tilt. Its strategy is to invest in public equities and equity-type securities while creating positive change for ocean health through consistent investment and shareholder engagement processes. The collaboration with The Ocean Foundation further strengthens the fund’s commitment to conserving ocean environments.
Andrew Lee, Head Sustainable & Impact Investing at UBS Global Wealth Management, commented:
“We continue to be strong supporters of shareholder engagement, and think it has the potential to both – deliver positive change and improve profitability of companies. The new strategy allows us to have deeper impact on one of the key resources of our planet, and bring a stronger investment focus on the ocean, which remains relatively underfunded by investors.”
Integration of UBS and Credit Suisse Initiatives
This fund marks a significant step in the integration of UBS and Credit Suisse, merging the Credit Suisse Rockefeller Engagement Fund into the new UBS fund, incorporating over USD 200 million in invested assets. The UBS Rockefeller Ocean Engagement Fund is available in various jurisdictions across Europe.
