Impax Group plc ("Impax"), the specialist environmental investment company and FTSE Group ("FTSE"), the global index company, have launched the FTSE Environmental Opportunities All-Share Index.
The new index, made up of 450 constituents, will cover alternative energy and energy efficiency, water treatment and pollution control, and waste technologies and resource management. It is one of a series of environmental indices that Impax and FTSE are currently developing together.
Impax, using its wealth of experience investing in these sectors, will research the constituents from the FTSE Global Equity Index Series. The environmental investment universe, previously the domain of small technology start-ups, is now a rapidly developing area of the global economy and consists of companies who have a significant involvement in environmental technologies. Selected constituents must demonstrate that a minimum of 20% of their business comes from environmental markets or technologies. This index will include these companies and offers a broader environmental exposure opportunity to investors.
Ian Simm, Chief Executive of Impax, said: "Environmental investment is a compelling growth story now firmly in the mainstream. To reflect this, the sector needs a credible benchmark for investors. We are delighted to continue this partnership with FTSE, marrying their index expertise and our in-depth sector knowledge."
Will Oulton, Head of Responsible Investment at FTSE, commented: "The index will appeal to institutional and retail investors who want to gain exposure to and track the performance of those companies who are transforming their businesses to increasingly source revenues from global environmental markets."
The FTSE Environmental Opportunities All-Share Index provides an investible and transparent measure of the performance of the global environmental technology sector and is available for investors to use as the basis of structured products, exchange traded funds (ETF) and index funds. Russell Investments has already licensed the index for an environmental technology multi-manager fund.
Earlier this year Impax and FTSE launched the FTSE ET50 Index, made up of the largest fifty pure play environmental technology companies by market capitalisation worldwide, with an investable market capitalization of $161,216m.
About Impax Group plc
Impax Group plc ("Impax") was founded in 1994 as a specialist finance house focusing on the markets for cleaner or more efficient delivery of basic services of energy, water and waste. These markets are expanding rapidly, as business and political leaders encourage the development of cleaner products and services in response to the increasing pressures placed on the environment.
Impax's dedicated team of professionals, with many years of experience in the financial and environmental sectors, is ideally placed to understand and take advantage of the investment opportunities arising from the fast growing environmental markets. Impax Asset Management (the trading entity of Impax Group plc) manages over £1.25 billion of assets for institutional and private investors, across a range of listed and private equity funds.
For further information please visit: www.impax.co.uk