.jpg)
- Malaysian ESG Opportunity Fund launched by VCAP Asset Managers
- Builds on existing FTSE Russell relationship with Bursa Malaysia
- Reflects growing momentum around ESG globally
FTSE Russell, the global index provider, has announced that the FTSE Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Ratings have been licensed by Malaysia’s first ESG fund. The regional ESG Ratings were developed last year in partnership with Bursa Malaysia. The Malaysian ESG Opportunity Fund has been launched by VCAP Asset Managers Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of ValueCap Sdn Bhd.
The FTSE ESG Ratings are also used in the methodology for the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia, a collaboration that brought FTSE’s global indexing ESG methodology to the Malaysian market. The benchmark is designed to identify Malaysian companies with best practice sustainability approaches. The launch in December 2014 expanded the range of indexes within the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Series to over twenty, with the index featuring in both the FTSE Bursa Malaysia and FTSE4Good Index families.
FTSE Russell has been at the forefront of ESG development since launching the FTSE4Good Series in 2001, and has subsequently expanded its offering further with the launches of the FTSE Environmental Market Series, the FTSE ESG Ratings and the FTSE ex-Fossil Fuel Series. All of these are supported by a dedicated Business Unit. FTSE Russell supports clients by providing clear definitions, data and tools to enable the integration of ESG considerations by those clients into investment management and asset allocation.
David Harris , Head of ESG, FTSE Russell, said:
“We are delighted that ValueCAP has chosen to license FTSE data for Malaysia’s first ESG fund. We continue to see growing levels of demand in responsible investment and ESG factors from institutional and retail investors throughout the world. Malaysia has enjoyed strong growth in recent years, and the focus on high standards in ESG practices is considered an important component in sustaining this growth and development.”
