German-speaking countries sustainable mutual fund assets bounce back to pre-crisis levels

Investment volumes in sustainable mutual funds in the German-speaking countries in Europe have rebounded quickly to reach the same levels they were at before the financial crisis, according to new data.

The Sustainable Business Institute (SBI) found that a total of 354 sustainable mutual funds were licensed for marketing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as at the end of December 2010 – up from 313 at the end of the previous year.
At the end of last year there was around €34bn invested in these 354 funds. “The overall volume of sustainable mutual funds has once more reached the level it was at before the financial crisis,” the Institute said.There were 25 new funds launched in 2010, with a total volume of around €700m. These comprised nine share funds, eleven mixed funds, three bond funds, one microfinance fund and one exchange-traded fund (ETF).

A further 34 funds, which had either already been licensed in other countries or have recently begun to factor in sustainability criteria and which account for investments totalling around €2bn, have been added since the end of 2009. Eighteen funds have closed or have been amalgamated with other funds since the beginning of the year.
The Germany-based SBI is headed by Dr. Paschen v. Flotow. More information is available here