Three Funds from Franklin Templeton Receive Sustainability Label from Febelfin

Three Funds from Franklin Templeton Receive Sustainability Label from Febelfin

Brussels, 5 April 2022 – Franklin Templeton¹ today announced that Franklin Euro Short Duration Bond Fund², Legg Mason Martin Currie European Unconstrained Fund³ and Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Long-Term Unconstrained Fund³ have received the ‘Towards Sustainability’ label from the Central Labelling Agency (CLA)⁴, a not-for-profit association incorporated under Belgian law. The label was launched in 2019 at the initiative of the Belgian Financial Sector Federation (Febelfin)⁵.

Bérengère Blaszczyk, Head of Distribution, France, Benelux and Nordics, commented: “The award of the ‘Towards Sustainability’ label to these three Funds is wonderful news, and we are delighted to see them added to the list of our previously labelled funds. The label is very rigorous in its criteria, particularly after the standards revision in 2021. Within the ever-expanding universe of sustainability funds in the market, it is important to see the sustainability credentials of these three funds being recognised.”

Julian Ide, Head of EMEA Distribution at Franklin Templeton, commented: “The award of the ‘Towards Sustainability’ label to our funds is a welcome recognition of the importance we place on ESG factors in our investment decisions. As investors, we believe financial returns and environmental, social and governance factors are fundamentally intertwined. ESG analysis is fully embedded in our investment processes for these funds, allowing us to meaningfully improve our understanding of investee companies, their risks, and their opportunities to the benefit of our clients.”

The ‘Towards Sustainability’ quality standard has been developed by the CLA to qualitatively and quantitatively increase the level of socially responsible and sustainable financial products. The label’s aim is to instil trust and reassure potential investors that the financial product is managed with sustainability in mind, stressing that investments are screened for performance not just in relation to the environment but also in the field of social policy and good governance. The quality standard was first outlined in February 2019, and the first group of 311 mutual funds to be awarded the label was announced in November 2019. In 2021 the quality standard was revised to align it with the EU Sustainable Finance regulation, ensure deeper integration of sustainability in the investment process, strengthen the criteria on the fossil fuels sector and on sovereign bonds, and improve disclosures to end investors.

The Franklin Euro Short Duration Bond Fund pursues an actively managed investment strategy and invests mainly in short-term high quality debt securities denominated in Euro issued by European sovereign issuers and European and/or non-European corporations. In making investment decisions, the Fund’s investment team refers to detailed analyses of economic trends in various countries and individual companies. As an Article 8 fund, the Fund filters out issuers that score below “B” based on MSCI ESG ratings. The Fund employs additional screens to protect the integrity of ESG factors including filters for human and labour rights, reduction of greenhouse gas, and reduction of fossil fuel activity.

The Legg Mason Martin Currie European Unconstrained Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in shares of companies located or listed in Europe, or that conduct the predominant part of their economic activity in Europe. Such investment may be directly in such shares or indirectly via derivatives (financial instruments whose value is derived from the value of other assets). The investment manager seeks to identify shares of companies that have the potential to generate or sustain a high return on invested capital; have the potential to provide an attractive growth profile and/or cash flow generation over the long term; and are expected to have supportive accounting practices. The investment manager uses an established proprietary process to assess ESG factors/characteristics. These factors/characteristics are assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively, through its proprietary ESG rating system and its direct research and engagement process. 

The Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Long-Term Unconstrained Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in shares of companies located anywhere in the world, including emerging market countries. The investment manager seeks to identify shares of companies that historically have demonstrated consistent, long-term value creation. If a company passes the investment manager's initial screening, then an in-depth analysis and valuation of the company is undertaken. The companies that are still considered attractive at this point are then subjected to a final due diligence analysis. The investment manager applies its established, proprietary ESG process to 100% of the portfolio, and maintains a portfolio ESG rating higher than that of the Fund’s investment universe

For more information on Franklin Euro Short Duration Bond Fund, Legg Mason Martin Currie European Unconstrained Fund, and Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Long-Term Unconstrained Fund, please visit www.franklintempleton.lu.

-ENDS-

 

Contacts:

Amanda Hopkins Corporate Communications Manager Tel: +44 131 242 4212 Email: [email protected]

Axelle Preud’homme Marketing Director France & Benelux Tel: +352 46 66 67 545 Email: [email protected]

 

This is a marketing communication. Please refer to the prospectus of the UCITS and to the KID before making any final investment decisions.

1. Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 155 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers boutique specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the company has 75 years of investment experience and approximately $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of February 28, 2022. For more information, please visit https://www.franklintempleton.lu and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
2. Franklin Euro Short Duration Bond Fund is a sub-fund of Franklin Templeton Investments Funds (FTIF), a Luxembourg-domiciled SICAV.

Subscriptions to shares of FTIF can only be made on the basis of the current prospectus, and, where available, the relevant Key Investor Information Document, accompanied by the latest available audited annual report and the latest semi-annual report if published thereafter. These documents can be found on our website at www.ftidocuments.com or can be obtained, free of charge, from your local FTI representative.  The Fund's documents are available in English, Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish. The value of shares in FTIF and income received from it can go down as well as up, and investors may not get back the full amount invested.

In addition, a summary of investor rights is available from franklintempleton.lu​. The summary is available in English.

The sub-funds of FTIF are notified for marketing in multiple EU Member States under the UCITS Directive. FTIF can terminate such notifications for any share class and/or sub-fund at any time by using the process contained in Article 93a of the UCITS Directive.

An investment in FTIF entails risks, which are described in the FTIF’s prospectus and, where available, the relevant Key Investor Information Document. Investments in derivative instruments entail specific risks that may increase the risk profile of the fund and are more fully described in FTIF’s prospectus and where available in the relevant Key Investor Information Document. References to particular industries, sectors or companies are for general information and are not necessarily indicative of a fund’s holding at any one time.

No shares of FTIF may be directly or indirectly offered or sold to nationals or residents of the United States of America. Shares of FTIF are not available for distribution in all jurisdictions and prospective investors should confirm availability with their local Franklin Templeton Investments representative before making any plans to invest.

This fund has been classified as Article 8 under the Regulation on sustainability related disclosures in the financial services sector (EU) 2019/2088. These are Funds which have an ESG integration approach and, in addition, have binding environmental and/or social characteristics in their investment process. Further information in relation to the sustainability-related aspects of the Fund can be found at franklinresources.com/countries. Please review all of the fund’s objectives and characteristics before investing.

3. The Legg Mason Martin Currie European Unconstrained Fund and the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Long-Term Unconstrained Fund are sub-funds of the Dublin domiciled Legg Mason Global Funds PLC range.

Legg Mason Global Funds plc ('LMGF') is an open-ended investment company with variable capital, organised as an undertaking for collective investment in transferable securities ('UCITS'). LMGF is authorised in Ireland by the Central Bank of Ireland. Information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. It is not guaranteed in any way by any Franklin Resources, Inc. company or affiliate (together 'Franklin Templeton'). Before investing you should read the application form Prospectus and KID. The fund documents may be obtained free of charge in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish from LMGF's registered office at Riverside Two, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2, Ireland, from LMGF's administrator, BNY Mellon Fund Services (Ireland) Limited, or please visit www.franklintempleton.lu to be directed to your local Franklin Templeton website.

In addition, a summary of investor rights is available from franklintempleton.lu​. The summary is available in English.​​

The sub-funds of LMGF are notified for marketing in multiple EU Member States under the UCITS Directive. LMGF can terminate such notifications for any share class and/or sub-fund at any time by using the process contained in Article 93a of the UCITS Directive.

These funds have been classified as Article 8 under the Regulation on sustainability related disclosures in the financial services sector (EU) 2019/2088. These are Funds which have an ESG integration approach and, in addition, have binding environmental and/or social characteristics in their investment process. Further information in relation to the sustainability-related aspects of the Fund can be found at franklinresources.com/countries. Please review all of the fund’s objectives and characteristics before investing.

4. The Central Labelling Agency (CLA) is a not-for-profit association incorporated under Belgian law. The goal of the CLA is to enlarge the impact and substance of sustainable saving and investing, and to substantially strengthen the qualitative approach to sustainable saving and investing. The CLA consists of three bodies – The Board of Directors (responsible for oversight and updating the quality standard); the Eligibility Commission (responsible for advising the Board on awarding the ‘Towards Sustainability’ label); and the Advisory Commission (responsible to advise the Board on changes to the quality standard. The CLA relies on an independent ESG auditor to perform the technical and in-depth verification of alignment of the products that applied for the label. The CLA is governed by and functions in accordance with the Belgian Code of Companies and Associations (the “CCA”) and its articles of association.

5. The Belgian Financial Sector Federation (Febelfin) is a representative of the financial services sector in Belgium, which aims to bring together financial service providers and everyone striving to future-proof the financial sector. For more information on the ‘Towards Sustainability’ label, please visit https://www.towardssustainability.be/en/quality-standard.

Past performance does not predict future returns. Currency fluctuations may affect the value of overseas investments. When investing in a fund denominated in a foreign currency, your performance may also be affected by currency fluctuations. In emerging markets, the risks can be greater than in developed markets.

Any research and analysis contained in this document has been procured by Franklin Templeton for its own purposes and is provided to you only incidentally. This press release is intended to be of general interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. Franklin Templeton and its management groups have exercised professional care and diligence in the collection and processing of the information in this press release. Franklin Templeton makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy of this document. Franklin Templeton shall not be liable to any user of this report or to any other person or entity for the inaccuracy of information contained in this press release or for any errors or omissions in its contents, regardless of the cause of such inaccuracy, error or omission.

Please consult your financial advisor before deciding to invest. A copy of the latest prospectus, and, if available for this product, the relevant Key Investor Information Document, the annual report and semi-annual report, if published thereafter can be found, on our website www.ftidocuments.com or can be obtained, free of charge, from Franklin Templeton International Services S.à.r.l. supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier -8A, rue Albert Borschette L-1246 Luxembourg - Tel: +352-46 66 67-1 - Fax: +352-46 66 76.

Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à r.l.

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