Ostrum AM, one of the French asset managers owned by Natixis along with Loomis Sayles, announced new measures (1) to tackle unconventional oil and gas production (‘unconventionals’). Ostrum AM, with assets under management totalling €439bn plans to stop new investments in companies whose production of unconventionals represents more than 10% of their total production, before a full exit from unconventional oil and gas by 2030. These first announcements will be followed by a more detailed policy in the first half of next year.
With its new oil and gas policy, Ostrum AM will exclude companies responsible for 65% of oil and gas production and 62% of oil and gas expansion (2). It is a promising first step, and Ostrum has a key role to play in engaging the oil and gas companies still in its portfolio to align themselves with the IEA net zero scenario (3). As requested by Bruno le Maire, the French Minister of the Economy and Finance, financial institutions are implementing an unconventional oil and gas exit strategy. The main French asset managers, such as Amundi, now have to take the plunge and stop supporting oil and gas expansion, starting with unconventional oil and gas.