ALFI welcomes European Commission consultation on renewed sustainable finance strategy

ALFI actively supports the initiative of the European Commission to promote sustainable finance and welcomes the consultation on the renewed sustainable finance strategy.

Corinne Lamesch, Chairperson of ALFI, comments: “Sustainable finance is a continuously evolving topic. How we look at sustainability going forward will definitely be influenced by the current Covid-19 crisis.”

ALFI was an early mover in addressing and promoting the topic of sustainable finance. From the outset, the association considered responsible investing (RI) as the « third pillar » of the Luxembourg investment fund industry – next to UCITS and AIFs. Corinne Lamesch says: “Working on a framework that helps sustainable products flourish will remain a top priority for ALFI. ALFI will continue to strive for choice and transparency for investors while aiming to make sure that new legislation remains flexible enough to meet investor demand and encourage innovation. »

The association has been actively working on various aspects of the sustainable finance agenda, with the topic featuring prominently on the agendas of its conferences and roadshows. In January, ALFI published a Guidance on sustainability disclosuresexclusively for its members which aims to clarify how the Disclosure Regulation will impact asset managers.

Corinne Lamesch explains: “Work on this guidance and our sustainable agenda in general has highlighted that consistent definitions of key concepts and consistent implementation measures throughout the EU and beyond will be key”. She adds: « The ALFI technical committee on responsible investing will now be busy analysing and preparing our answer to the consultation”.

Over the years, Luxembourg has strengthened its position as the number one domicile for responsible investing funds in Europe. The fund centre can rely on a comprehensive regulatory toolbox to structure responsible investments, allowing for a choice of legal forms depending on the investment strategy selected and the targeted investor base.

Today, Luxembourg accounts for 34% of funds and 35% of total assets under management (AuM) in European RI funds according to the KPMG European Responsible Investment Fund Survey 2019.