Rathbones Asset Management (AM) has been granted approval to adopt the Sustainability Focus label across its four-fund sustainable multi-asset range.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) approved the use of the label under its Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) regime.

The four funds are within the Rathbone Greenbank Multi-Asset Portfolio range and bring Rathbones AM’s total labelled funds to six, after its Rathbone Greenbank Global Sustainability Fund and Rathbone Greenbank Global Sustainable Bond Fund adopted the same label earlier this year.

The ‘Sustainability Focus’ label requires a minimum of 70 per cent of the assets within the fund to contribute to a sustainability objective, and no assets can be held that conflict with the sustainability objective.

The four funds that will adopt the label are: Rathbone Greenbank Total Return Portfolio, Rathbone Greenbank Defensive Growth Portfolio, Rathbone Greenbank Strategic Growth Portfolio, and Rathbone Greenbank Dynamic Growth Portfolio.

To support the FCA’s SDR regime, Rathbones AM made changes to the portfolios by strengthening the objectives to better define the sustainable objectives of each fund.

These changes include amendments to the investment objectives, policies, and sustainable strategies of the portfolios.

Commenting on the announcement, Rathbones AM chief executive, Tom Carroll, said: “We are proud of the hard work we have done to ensure SDR recognition for our funds, putting us in the leading tier of asset management companies for the number of labelled funds relative to AUM.

“At a time when it is fashionable to talk down sustainability, we are pleased to be able to demonstrate our long-term commitment to this area of the market.

“We know from experience that companies with robust governance and strong cultures benefit our clients in the long-term and we are now able to offer clients a suite of labelled funds across multi-asset, equity and fixed income, which means that through Rathbones Asset Management, clients can achieve sustainable exposure across core asset classes.

“Rathbones has an enviable reputation and longevity in sustainable investment and we continue to value the contribution from across the whole group, particularly the team at Greenbank, to ensuring a robust sustainability framework which has enabled the successful adoption of these labels.”

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