Promoting ecological and/or social characteristics

All three BeFrank life cycles promote ecological and/or social characteristics, as described in Article 8 of the SFDR. These environmental and/or social characteristics are environment and climate, labour and human rights.

The BeFrank lifecycles meet the environmental and/or social characteristics, by applying exclusions based on the Un Global Compact Principles and several forms of oil and coal production/usage. The intensity of applying these exclusions vary. In the Sustainable Lifecycle there will only be invested in companies that make a positive contribution to these characteristics. Also voting and engagement are used to meet the characteristics.

ESG integration is used to a large extent in the life cycles. Measures are applied in the investment process to mitigate ESG risks. This is done by excluding investments in companies involved in various activities. These exclusions differ per lifecycle. In addition, further details can be found in the fact sheets of the applied investment funds. Voting and engagement is also applied for all life cycles. The Sustainable Lifecycle has the additional feature that only investments with a positive contribution to the world are selected.

DIY Investing does not promote any ecological and/or social characteristics. Here, investment funds with or without some form of ESG integration may be used.

The lifecycles can partially invest in sustainable investments and make investments that contribute to the environmental objectives including those as set out in the Taxonomy Regulation (Regulation (EU) 220/852). The lifecycles do not target a specific environmental objective, but may invest in any of the environmental objectives as set out in the Taxonomy Regulation, as well as in any other environmental or social objectives. The proportion of investments in environmentally sustainable economic activities according to the Taxonomy Regulation cannot be determined yet, and is therefore set at 0%.

No index has been designated as a reference benchmark for the life cycles.