BlackRock has made the iShares SBI® ESG AAA-BBB Bond Index Fund (CH) the first fund to track the recently introduced SBI ESG Screened AAA-BBB Index from SIX, reflecting the growing market demand to shift investments from traditional to ESG financial instruments.

Besides three SPI ESG indices for equities based on the Swiss Performance Index (SPI), SIX currently offers 49 new SBI ESG subindices, all derived from the Swiss Bond Index (SBI), for several maturity bands, by domestic and foreign issuers and by credit ratings. On 29 March 2021, SIX added the SBI ESG Screened index to its ESG index family to provide a slightly different ESG emphasis than the SBI ESG and its subindices; it too measures the performance of Swiss franc bonds using ESG data provided by Inrate.

“We’re very pleased with the trust placed in us and the growth of the ESG indices and ESG index funds on the equity and the bond side”, highlights Dr. Christian Bahr, Head Index Services at SIX.

The SBI ESG Screened index consists of those components of the Swiss Bond Index (SBI) that have an ESG rating of at least C+, are rated "medium" or better in Inrate's controversy score and generate limited revenues from controversial sectors. Companies that are on the SVVK exclusion list or do not meet the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) criteria are also excluded from the index.

At each month-end, Inrate’s ESG data are applied to the SBI constituents. For new issues, where Inrate already covers the issuer, the ESG data of that issuer is used. For new issues where Inrate does not already cover the issuer, Inrate will perform an ad hoc analysis to determine whether the bond is eligible for the SBI ESG Screened.

For further information on the new SBI ESG Screened AAA-BBB Index from SIX, including its methodology and rules, please click here. To access the list of all Index-Based Products of SIX, please click here.