Liontrust Sustainable Investment Annual Review 2021 - International - Report - Page 25
How our themes are aligned to the SDGs where we have most exposure
Good health and well-being (SDG #3)
We have five investment themes aligned with this SDG to ensure
healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
Improving auto safety: We have identified companies whose
products improve the safety of travel and reduce road traffic
accidents, principally through active safety, which involves collision
avoidance, active breaking and semi-autonomous driving. We
concentrate on the specialist companies making the kit to improve
safety (or reduce emissions) rather than the car manufacturers we
believe are challenged to meet tightening regulations to improve
safety as well as reducing emissions.
LED headlights are a low energy and safer option for cars and
German company Hella is the market leader. Data show 50%
of accidents happen at night and this lighting provides superior
illumination of the road for drivers and faster signalling of braking
for other cars. This is a high growth and high and expanding
margin company with good cash conversion, a strong balance
sheet and growing returns on invested capital.
Delivering healthier foods: There is a trend in the food industry of
consumers changing their preferences and demanding healthier
options. We have identified companies that provide reformulation
services to change the recipe of foods to make them healthier
(less fat, sugar and salt) while maintaining the taste. These
companies are a beneficiary of this demand for healthier food
as their customers (many of which are the big incumbent food
producers) respond to changing consumer preferences and use
their reformulation services.
This improved diet has positive health impacts, helping to reduce
non-communicable diseases such as obesity and cardiovascular
disease for example. This contributes to the Key Performance
Indicator 3.4 of the SDGs, which is to reduce by one third
premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through
prevention and treatment.
Irish firm Kerry was established in 1972 as a dairy co-operative and
has evolved to become one of the largest and most technologically
advanced ingredients and flavours companies. Kerry enables food
manufacturers, restaurants and supermarkets to improve the nutritional
characteristics of their meals to be tasty, natural and appealing while
reducing salt, sugar, fat and calories.
Enabling healthier lifestyles: Companies that promote healthier
lifestyles, principally through increasing activity, taking exercise
and sport, help meet the same Key Performance Indicator 3.4 of
this SDG.
Gym Group is the UK’s second largest and lowest-cost gym group
with more than 170 sites across the UK. Gym Group promotes
physical activity through the provision of exercise classes, weights
and cardio equipment at less than half of the price of traditional
gyms. This makes membership more affordable for the broader
population and helps to improve public health.
Providing affordable healthcare globally: Companies that help to
deliver affordable, positive patient outcomes in managing disease
also help to achieve this SDG.
IQVIA is a US company that uses data to design and run trials for
new drugs before they get approved for general use. Designing
these trials is complicated but IQVIA’s innovation means drugs can
be used quicker and cost less to test.
Enabling innovation in healthcare: Companies whose products
or services promote innovation within healthcare are helping to
achieve this goal. They do this by either coming up with new, more
effective ways to treat diseases (creating a significant step change
in the mechanism used to treat a given disease), through providing
essential equipment or services for biotechnology research (such as
specialist measuring equipment, genetic sequencing equipment or
high-quality consumables for research), or through software to help
make treatments more effective.
PerkinElmer is a US life sciences tools and services company whose
portfolio enables innovation across multiple sustainable themes. The
company’s products enable testing of water, soil and food as well
as diagnosis of allergies and identifying autoimmune deficiencies
in people. PerkinElmer also has expertise in next generation gene
sequencing and the fast-growing area of non-invasive prenatal
screening and diagnosis.
All use of company logos, images or trademarks in this presentation are for reference purposes only.
Liontrust Sustainable Investment: Annual Review 2019 - 25
