Robeco plans to expand its range of sustainable strategies available to investors in the region and strengthen its investment team in Singapore with new hires, according to a statement by the firm.
Over the coming years, Robeco will appoint three sustainability specialists in Singapore to provide localized ESG expertise across the region, with one targeted hire before the end of 2021. The team will be an extension of Robeco’s Sustainability Investing Centre of Expertise – a global bench of about 35 dedicated client portfolio managers as well as research, thought leadership and “active ownership professionals”.
“Expanding our investment and ESG capabilities in Singapore moves us towards the next phase of growth following five years of successful operations here. With sound financial infrastructure and regulatory support, Singapore is strategically important for us as a gateway to engage with clients in the region,” said Nayan Patel, chief executive officer, Robeco Singapore.
Robeco opened its Singapore office in 2016, establishing its regional fixed income hub in Asia as an extension of its global fixed income team. In addition to growing its ESG expertise, Robeco is looking to strengthen its fixed income capabilities in Singapore with two new fixed income research and investment professionals.
With the new hires, Robeco expects to introduce more Asian versions of its sustainability-focused strategies available elsewhere around the world to cater to the needs of local investors. Robeco offers three types of strategies within its sustainable investing offering: sustainability inside, sustainability focused, and impact investing.
The asset manager introduced its first sustainable equity strategy in 1995, and launched an Asian sustainable equity strategy in 2020. Robeco integrates ESG with proprietary ESG research and in-house analytical tools. It also offers a comprehensive suite of sustainable investing
The firm also plans to extend its existing ESG education and training activities in Singapore. Robeco has launched e-learning modules under “Robeco Essentials” since October 2018 and has worked with clients, research institutes and institutes of higher learning.
“Our Singapore expansion will also contribute to Robeco’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions across all assets by 2050,” said Patel.
