“I would like to thank Erste Group for launching our partnership, allowing Spuerkeess to offer a new range of sustainable investment opportunities to its customers,” said Romain Wehles, chief commercial officer at Spuerkeess, in a press statement on Monday 5 May 2025. Photo: Spuerkeess

“I would like to thank Erste Group for launching our partnership, allowing Spuerkeess to offer a new range of sustainable investment opportunities to its customers,” said Romain Wehles, chief commercial officer at Spuerkeess, in a press statement on Monday 5 May 2025. Photo: Spuerkeess

Austria’s Erste Asset Management partnered with Spuerkeess to offer ESG and impact funds in Luxembourg for the first time, granting exclusive distribution rights.

Spuerkeess became the sole distributor of Erste Asset Management’s sustainable investment funds in Luxembourg, the state savings bank announced on 5 May 2025. The partnership, established between Spuerkeess and Erste Asset Management--which is based in Vienna, Austria, and part of the Erste Group, a leading banking group--marks a significant milestone in expanding sustainable finance within the Luxembourg market.

Exclusive distribution rights

Under the agreement, Spuerkeess obtained exclusive rights to distribute Erste AM’s sustainable investment products in Luxembourg. The collaboration aimed to provide investment solutions that integrate environmental and social considerations, thereby enabling clients to pursue financial returns while addressing sustainability challenges. Spuerkeess stated that the arrangement would enhance its position in sustainable and responsible finance, while Erste AM’s funds, many of which had been awarded sustainability labels, would become available to Luxembourg-based investors for the first time.

Romain Wehles, chief commercial officer at Spuerkeess, noted that the partnership would allow clients to invest in products that support both financial growth and global sustainability goals. He also acknowledged Erste Group for enabling this collaboration.

According to Erste AM, the company had been active in sustainable investing for over two decades, particularly in German-speaking regions. As of 31 March 2025, Erste AM reported a total ESG fund volume of €31.9bn. The company employed strict minimum criteria that considered ESG factors and used a proprietary sustainability scoring system to evaluate potential investments. Erste AM maintained a dedicated responsible investments team that assessed companies through direct engagement to guide them towards more sustainable practices.

Thomas Kraus, a member of Erste AM’s executive board, stated that the company’s long-standing sustainable investment process was expected to deliver significant value to Spuerkeess customers while also addressing global climate and environmental challenges.

Fund categories

As part of the cooperation, Spuerkeess selected funds from two main categories offered by Erste Asset Management--ESG funds and impact funds.

The ESG funds, classified as “article 8” under the EU’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), were designed to promote environmental and social characteristics by applying ESG criteria during the investment selection process. The funds made available included Erste Responsible Stock Dividend and Erste Responsible Stock Global.

Impact funds, classified as “article 9” under the same regulation, aimed to deliver both financial returns and measurable positive outcomes for the environment and society. The selected impact funds were Erste Fair Invest and Erste Responsible Bond Global Impact.

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