Expanding our product reach

In 2020, we continued to expand our sustainable and impact thematic offering with funds targeting the UN SDGs. Recent fund launches have included Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3) and Quality Education (SDG 4).

We are also broadening the focus of the Supertrends, our long-term investment themes that reflect global societal trends and form a core part of our sustainable and impact thematic offering, as well as our house view. In addition to our existing themes (Anxious societies – Inclusive capitalism; Infrastructure – Closing the gap; Technology at the service of humans; Silver economy – Investing for population aging; and Millennials’ values), we included Climate change – Decarbonizing the economy in 2020.

Credit Suisse also partnered with a leading Asian healthcare impact fund manager to invest in potential Asian healthcare market leaders, including in healthcare networks, cancer diagnostics, hospital groups and pharma products. The fund aims to meet the increasing demand for healthcare infrastructure and access to high quality and affordable healthcare products and services in underserved markets.

At year-end 2020, Credit Suisse’s sustainable assets under management (AuM) were CHF 108 billion, of which over CHF 16 billion comprised thematic and impact investment AuM.¹

¹ Includes only AuM balances from managed solutions that to date have been mapped to a sustainability rating of 2 and higher, based on our internal ESG framework scale of 0-5 (see table Credit Suisse Sustainable Investment Framework on page 80)

In a sign that a sustainable investment focus need not mean sacrificing returns, our flagship liquid sustainability funds have all outperformed their respective benchmarks during 2020 or since their inception.