Sustainability-focused asset management firm Candriam announced the launch of its Candriam Sustainable Equity Emerging Markets ex-China Fund, aimed at offering investors with exposure to long-term sustainability themes in emerging markets ex-China.

According to Candriam, the new fund was created in response to growing demand in Emerging Markets ex-China, which has been a leading driver of global growth and a relative outperformer in recent years, and amidst expectations of higher growth prospects driving inflows into the asset class.

The Fund will be managed by Vivek Dhawan, Fund Manager, supported by co-managers Paulo Salazar, Head of Emerging Markets Equities and Galina Besedina, Senior Fund Manager at Candriam.

Salazar said:

“As investors continue to search for compelling returns, Emerging Markets ex-China is proving to be an increasingly attractive market opportunity. We see an immense potential in this space, which is anticipated to be a key driver of global growth in the coming years, and as such we believe it offers important long-term prospects for investors.”

According to Candriam, the new actively-managed fund will aim to combine robust financial and ESG principles to capture growth through long-term sustainability trends, targeting themes that are critical in shaping the environment in which companies operate in, including technology and innovation, healthy living, climate change, resource efficiency and waste management, and demographic shifts, in addition to taking into consideration future market challenges.

The fund’s sustainable investment universe will be determined by Candriam’s dedicated ESG team through extensive analysis and assessments, with the fund investing in companies from this universe, specifically targeting sectors that are positioned to benefit from long-term sustainability trends.

Salazar added:

“Our focus on long-term sustainability trends together with the expertise of our ESG team, has allowed us to develop a product that provides investors a unique opportunity to capture the extensive growth opportunities in Emerging Markets ex-China, while aligning with sustainable investment principles.”

The fund is available for distribution in Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, the UK and The Netherlands.