Måns Carlsson

Ausbil Investment Management Limited (Ausbil) has announced the launch of the Ausbil Active Sustainable Equity Fund (Fund) as an exchange‑traded fund (ETF), expanding investor access to Ausbil’s established sustainable investment capability through the convenience and liquidity of the ASX.

ASUS provides exposure to an actively managed portfolio of predominantly Australian‑listed equities, selected primarily from the S&P/ASX 200 Index, that meet Ausbil’s sustainability approach. ASUS aims to deliver consistent, risk‑controlled outperformance of its benchmark over the long term. It generally holds between 30‑45 Australian‑listed companies and seeks to identify opportunities across market cycles and conditions.

Måns Carlsson OAM, Head of ESG and Co‑Portfolio manager, said the launch reflects the growing demand for sustainable investment solutions that go beyond exclusion screens.

“ASUS brings our active, research‑driven approach to sustainability to the ASX AQUA market, giving investors easier access to a portfolio built around companies which Ausbil believe have relatively good sustainability profiles and are ranked highly by Ausbil on ESG and positioned for long term growth. We believe ESG factors can be a powerful driver of long‑term performance, and ASUS is designed to capture that opportunity.”

Nicholas Condoleon, Portfolio Manager and Deputy Head of Equities, Long Only, highlighted the potential benefits of the active ETF structure for a broader range of investors.

“Quoting the Fund as an Active ETF allows investors to tap into Ausbil’s sustainable investment expertise with the convenience of trading on the exchange. Our process focuses on identifying quality businesses with strong fundamentals and sustainable competitive advantages, and we’re excited to offer this strategy in a format that enhances accessibility and transparency.”

Ausbil’s sustainability approach applies the Fund’s Controversial Activity Exclusion Policy and integrates proprietary environmental, social and corporate governance research. Companies are assessed on both what they do and how they manage ESG factors, resulting in a sustainability profile and score. Only those determined by Ausbil to have good sustainability profiles are considered for inclusion in the Portfolio.

“We are extremely pleased to launch ASUS as an active ETF, our fifth to be listed on the ASX,” said Mark Knight, Chief Executive Officer of Ausbil. “This expands access to Ausbil’s investment capability, enabling a broader range of investors, including retail and advised clients, to invest in a sustainable strategy with a strong track record.”

Since inception (31 January 2018), the Fund has generated a net return of 9.22% pa, compared to the S&P/ASX 200 Accumulation Index return of 8.36% pa, delivering an outperformance of +0.86% pa to 31 March 2026. The Fund has been rated ‘Highly Recommended’ and ‘Recommended’ by Lonsec and Zenith, respectively. The Fund was launched in 2018 and has A$394 million of funds under management as of 31 March 2026.

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Måns Carlsson-Sweeny

The Ausbil Active Sustainable Equity Fund has celebrated  a successful three-years since inception by formally excluding fossil fuels.

Previously, the fund had excluded material investments in controversial activities such as uranium, thermal coal, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons and armaments, and pornography.

This exclusion  list has been expanded to include investing in exploration, mining and/or the distribution of fossil fuels, including oil, gas, oil sands and all coal.

“The energy transition is well underway and smart capital is investing in the future of energy that  is cleaner, renewable and contributes to the sustainability goals around climate change,” said Nicholas Condoleon, Portfolio Manager for the Ausbil Active Sustainable Equity Fund and Head  of Equities Research. “A Biden Presidency is also expected to accelerate policy initiatives supportive of the substitution of fossil fuels by renewable fuel sources making this a very exciting time to be in sustainable investing.”

Ausbil’s ESG and sustainable investing model is based in deep fundamental ESG research, engagement and advocacy across the universe of investable companies on the ASX. Its dedicated ESG research team powers a program of face-to-face engagement with the boards and leaders of Australia’s listed companies.

“We have developed an ‘engine’ for ESG action that underpins our sustainable investment approach, and sees a rolling program of some 200 active engagements every year across all aspects of ESG,” said Måns Carlsson, Ausbil’s Head of ESG Research.  “This deep pool of data informs a larger spectrum risk assessment within Ausbil’s investment decision framework, improving risk-adjusted returns by considering the greater risk and ESG impact of every company.”

“Increasingly, we are seeing investors, from the world’s biggest institutions to mum and dad super investors, driving the move towards sustainable investing,” said Mark Knight, Ausbil’s Head of Distribution. “Whether it is climate change, modern slavery or governance, sustainable investors want their capital to be responsible. They don’t want their capital to overlook these issues.”

Themes like decarbonisation and global warming are driving a growing energy thematic that will eventually tip the scales toward alternative energy, most likely faster than previously thought.

COVID-19 has seen a drive towards renewables as a policy lever, and also as renewable energy costs fall in comparison to fossil fuels. “There is a long ramp-up of opportunity here in the long switch  to more renewable energy sources for long-term investors,” said Mr Condoleon.

“Active and consistent engagement, backed with active advocacy and voting means we walk  the walk of sustainable investing,” said Mr Carlsson. “Engaging means we will maintain an ongoing conversation with the companies in our universe, even when they have uninvestable ESG scores. This is how we achieve change.”

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“We are grateful for the support shown by BT in recognising the Fund on their platform,” said Hik Chadirchi, National Manager, Wholesale Clients, “Sustainable investing is one of the fastest growing segments in the market and clients are increasingly looking to add purpose to their returns,” said Chadirchi.

Ausbil has been a signatory to the PRI since 2016, and has recently been recognised for sustainable investing as: winner of the 2020 Lonsec Super Ratings Sustainable Investment Awards; a finalist for Fund Manager of the Year Awards 2020 for the Responsible Investment Category; and holds a Recommended rating from both Lonsec and Zenith.

“We approach sustainable investing through engagement with the universe of investable companies so we know more about them and can assess their true sustainability,” said Nicholas Condoleon, Portfolio Manager for the Fund, and Ausbil’s Head of Research.

“We have been focused on ESG for many years and it is all pervasive in our approach to fundamental valuation and security selection which we believe has contributed to our performance”.

The Ausbil Active Sustainable Equity Fund is now available on both the BT Panorama and BT Wrap platforms, listed in the options menu. The Fund is also available on AMP North, Macquarie Wrap, Netwealth, Hub24 and ASX mFund.

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