Investment approach The Fund is designed to provide access to a broad range of Australian shares, with a reduced exposure to carbon emissions and fossil fuel reserves by 35% and 30% respectively compared to its benchmark. The Fund goes beyond carbon reduction alone, aiming to provide an increased exposure to the most sustainable companies, by positively tilting the portfolio towards higher than average material ESG scores. The investment team uses a systematic portfolio construction approach beginning with the S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index. The team is then able to tilt the portfolio away from companies with high exposure to carbon-intensive activities and increase weighting in those companies with positive ESG characteristics.The Fund applies asset, sector, industry and country constraints and minimises active share to effectively deliver low tracking error. This portfolio construction process negates unintuitive outcomes that can arise with other optimisation techniques.

The Russell Investments Low Carbon Australian Shares Fund is an enhanced passive / smart beta fund that uses a systematic portfolio construction approach, starting with the  S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index , and invests directly in Australian shares.The Fund utilises our proprietary decarbonisation strategy which aims to achieve the following relative to its benchmark (S&P/ASX 300 Accumulation Index):- a 35% reduction in carbon footprint;- a 30% reduction in fossil fuel reserves;- an increased exposure to companies with a high material ESG scoreAdditionally, the Fund strategy , takes into account other ESG considerations such as the exclusion of controversial weapons and tobacco companies. The Fund applies asset, sector, industry and country constraints and minimises active share in order to deliver low tracking error (targeted at 0.75% p.a.).The Fund's investment approach is sustainability themed in that it provides investors with a sustainable investment solution that supports the management of climate change risk and the transition to a low carbon economy. In achieving this outcome, the Fund considers the value and measure of carbon, green energy and environmental, social and governance (ESG) characteristics. Additionally, the Fund applies specific exclusions criteria in relation to controversial weapons and tobacco companies that aligns with current responsible investment market trends.it should be noted that the Fund's sustainability approach is intended to evolve and adapt over time in order to reflect changing market conditions, albeit within a risk-controlled framework.The Fund uses a hybrid approach to its investment / portfolio construction process, preserving the strengths of each of the following common approaches to portfolio decarbonisation - divestment, sector neutral reallocation and optimisation. Our approach includes optimisation, negative screens, negative and positive tilts and integrates ESG factors (ESG integration).