Methodology Change | Several GPR Indices | Effective Date 25/11/2024

Today, on the 12/11/2024, Solactive announces the following changes to the methodology of the following indices (the ‘Affected Indices):

Rationale for  Methodology  Change

To enhance the ESG standards of the index and make it aligned with SFDR Article 8 requirements, Solactive has decided to incorporate an additional filter based on compliance with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) principles. This filter will exclude companies flagged with a “RED” status under the ISS NBS Overall Flag, which reflects Norm-Based Research (NBR) evaluations. This enhancement aims to ensure that the index constituents align with globally recognized ESG standards, thereby meeting the increasing demand from stakeholders for socially responsible investment options. Additionally, by excluding companies that violate the UNGC principles or lack adequate information for assessment, the index will better reflect a commitment to sustainable and responsible investing.

Moreover, given the recently published guidelines from ESMA around the use of ESG and sustainability-related terms in fund names and the fact that in most cases fund names are aligned with index names, Solactive decided to remove the word “ESG” from the index names.

Changes to the Index Guideline

The following Methodology changes will be implemented in the following points of the Index Guideline (ordered in accordance with the numbering of the affected sections):

Titles

• From: GPR Global Top 100 ESG Index |  To: GPR Global Top 100 Index        
• From: GPR Americas Top 40 ESG Index |  To: GPR Americas Top 40 Index     
• From: GPR Asia Pacific Top 30 ESG Index |  To: GPR Asia Pacific Top 30 Index  
• From: GPR EMEA Top 30 ESG Index  |  To: GPR EMEA Top 30 Index

Section 2 addition

[…]

“2.12

Only companies compliant with the UN Global Compact are eligible for the index. All companies for which an evaluation is not possible due to insufficient and/or missing information or data are excluded.”

[…]

Defined terms used in this announcement, but not defined herein, have the meaning assigned to them in the respective index guideline of the Affected Indices. The amended version of the index guideline will be available on the effective date.