On Wednesday, IndexIQ, a New York Life Investments company, announced the expansion of its Dual Impact family of thematic investment strategies with the launch of three new funds: IQ Engender Equality ETF (NYSE Ticker: EQUL), IQ Clean Oceans ETF (NYSE Ticker: OCEN), and IQ Cleaner Transport ETF (NYSE Ticker: CLNR).
According to Yie-Hsin Hung, CEO, New York Life Investment Management, “Today investors are demanding more when it comes to ESG investment approaches, and they’re demanding more from the companies in which they’re investing. Meeting these demands takes nothing short of a revolution in ESG investing, and that is exactly what we have sought to do with our Dual Impact suite. This is not simply a group of funds based on screens or factors, but rather it is one built on the belief that the same funds that have the potential to positively impact a portfolio can also have a direct and positive impact on our communities. We are thrilled to be working so closely with powerful aligned partners like Equileap, Girls Who Code, Oceana, and the National Wildlife Federation. No one can effect change alone, but by working together, the approach exemplified by these funds can potentially have a meaningful impact for investors as well as our environment, our society, and beyond.”
Each fund has been launched in alignment with the mission of a nonprofit leader and reflects initiatives, research, and programs of that organization. Additionally, New York Life Investments has committed to making a contribution to each nonprofit equal to ten percent of the respective fund’s management fee so they can continue to have a direct impact around a key cause.
EQUL was developed using analysis from Equileap, the leading provider of gender equality data. The fund is designed to offer investors exposure to companies that have demonstrated a commitment to gender equality. Contributions will be made to Girls Who Code, a leading nonprofit dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology, on an ongoing basis.
Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code, adds, “We’re thrilled with the opportunity to partner with New York Life Investments as we work to close the gender gap in tech by 2030. At Girls Who Code, we understand that the best way to build a pipeline of women in the tech industry is to foster a passion for computer science for our youngest students. The generosity from New York Life Investments will allow us to better support our Clubs programs: free after-school programs for 3rd-12th grade students that can be hosted either in-person or virtually. Together, we’ll bring sisterhood and community to girls around the world and provide them with the tools and confidence they need to make a difference.”
CLNR was developed in alignment with the National Wildlife Federation (“NWF”), the largest conservation organization in the U.S. The fund provides exposure to select global companies that support the transition to more environmentally efficient transportation technologies, such as electric vehicles, bicycles, motor vehicle parts manufacturers, and multi-passenger transportation.
“Addressing climate change and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 require that we leverage every tool in the toolbox,” says Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of National Wildlife Federation. “By providing people with the opportunity to invest in companies that support our country’s transition to cleaner transportation technologies, New York Life Investments’ IQ Cleaner Transport ETF will support the transition to a new energy economy. This initiative will help the National Wildlife Federation recover imperiled wildlife, strengthen community resilience, and confront the climate crisis so that people and wildlife alike can thrive for generations to come.”
OCEN was developed in alignment with Oceana, the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation. The fund offers exposure to global companies that help protect and/or achieve a cleaner ocean through reduced pollution and increased resource efficiency.
As stated by Andrew Sharpless, CEO of Oceana, “New York Life Investments’ support will help Oceana’s campaign teams continue to win policies that make our oceans more abundant and biodiverse. We’ve already won over 225 policy victories and protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean habitat. Without the sort of changes Oceana campaigns for, more than half of the world’s marine species will be threatened with extinction by 2100. Rebuilt, healthy oceans preserve biodiversity beneath the sea and on land. They help safeguard future generations from the climate change crisis and can help sustainably feed a hungry planet. Together, we can save the oceans and feed the world.”
OCEN and CLNR’s underlying indexes were both developed in collaboration with Candriam, a New York Life Investments company and pioneer in ESG investing and indexing. EQUL was developed in collaboration with Equileap and Solactive, a leading index provider.
These funds join the IQ Healthy Hearts ETF (HART), which launched earlier this year in alignment with the American Heart Association (AHA) and was the first fund in the family of Dual Impact solutions.
For additional information on IndexIQ, visit newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf.
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