AllianzGI first ESG defence allocations likely this year

Green recalibration: A vehicle arrives at DWS Group in Frankfurt. The pivot in strategy not only allows its fund managers to buy assets tied to military equipment and services but also consider investments in nuclear weapons-related activities. — Bloomberg

FRANKFURT: Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI) expects some of its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) funds to start adding defence holdings in the coming months, as the money manager updates prospectuses to match the political mood in Europe.

“The European view on defence and the need for defence has shifted,” Matt Christensen, global head of sustainable and impact investing, said in an interview in which he alluded to both the war in Ukraine and the need to meet North Atlantic Treaty Organisation goals.