Green short duration bonds
Combining the benefits of short duration bonds with impactful real-world environmental outcomes.
The opportunity
‘Green bonds’ are bonds where the money raised is earmarked to support environmentally sustainable projects. They can help finance a myriad of initiatives, including renewable energy, sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, pollution prevention, and biodiversity preservation.
Short duration bonds could provide a better potential return than cash-based investments, while having lower volatility and risk profile than longer-dated bonds. They are a great option for investors looking to enhance returns from their cash portfolio and are willing to take a step into the bond market.
This strategy gives investors access to all the advantages of a short duration portfolio, while also helping in the transition to a low carbon economy.
What this strategy invests in
Energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions
– Renewable energy (solar, wind power generation, hydropower with sustainability safeguards)
– Grid infrastructure upgrades and interconnections
– Battery and storage projects
Greener forms of transportation and sustainable mobility
– EV charging infrastructure and battery manufacturing facilities
– Electrification of public transport fleets
– Urban transport infrastructure supporting active mobility
– Low-emission port infrastructure and shipping electrification
Environmentally sustainable construction and renovation projects
– Energy efficiency retrofits and renovations of existing buildings
– Construction of green certified new buildings
– Installation of on-site renewable energy systems
– Smart building infrastructure and energy management systems.
Strategy highlights
Credible
We made our first green bond investment in 2012, and now has a 10-year track record managing green bond strategies. Our dedicated green, social and sustainability bonds team draws on AXA IM’s broad responsible investing resources and substantial global fixed income expertise.
Diversified
The green bond market has significantly matured since the first green bond was issued in 2007. Today it represents a large, well-diversified universe with the same potential performance drivers as conventional bonds.
Real-world impact
Our proprietary Green, Social and Sustainability (GSS) Bond Framework ensures that we invest in issuers who are already on a decarbonization pathway through credible green bonds poised to contribute to that progress.
Read our impact report
Our comprehensive annual impact report outlines the highlights and outcomes achieved across our target solutions.
Download reportSustainability Disclosure Requirements
The FCA’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) help investors to find products that match their own sustainability requirements. BNPP AM adopted the ‘Sustainability Impact’ label for the AXA Green Short Duration Bond Fund in June 2025.
As part of the SDR regulations, fund managers have to produce a report for all funds that include sustainability or environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations in their investment approach. For funds that have adopted a sustainability label, this includes data to show how effectively they are achieving their goal. Visit our fund centre to view the SDR report and other key information.
Team and expertise
We have decades of fixed income experience and extensive global expertise, including 10 years in the green bond sector, and an extensive global network of portfolio managers and analysts. They are supported by a dedicated team of green, social and sustainable bond analysts as well as our responsible investment team of over thirty dedicated researchers.
Investment risks
- ESG risk
- Credit risk
- Interest Rate risk
- Prepayment and extension risk
- Index-linked bonds risk
- High yield bonds risk
- Risks linked to investment in sovereign debt
- Emerging Markets risk
- Stock lending risk
- Liquidity risk
- Counterparty risk
- Currency risk
Visit our fund centre
Learn more about our green short duration bond strategy
Impact investing
Discover our impact investing solutions and expertise
Important information
Marketing communication. For professional investors only.
Past performance or achievement is not indicative of current or future performance. Performance is calculated net of fees unless otherwise stated.
Any views expressed here are those of the author as of the date of publication, based on available information, and subject to change without notice. This material does not constitute investment advice.
Investments are subject to market fluctuations and the risks inherent in investments in securities. The value of investments and the income they generate may go down as well as up and it is possible that investors will not recover their initial investment. There is no guarantee that the performance objective will be achieved.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment risk: The lack of common or harmonised definitions and labels integrating ESG and sustainability criteria at EU level may result in different approaches by managers when setting ESG objectives. This also means that it may be difficult to compare strategies integrating ESG and sustainability criteria to the extent that the selection and weightings applied to select investments may be based on metrics that may share the same name but have different underlying meanings. In evaluating a security based on the ESG and sustainability criteria, the Investment Manager may also use data sources provided by external ESG research providers. Given the evolving nature of ESG, these data sources may for the time being be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable. Applying responsible business conduct standards in the investment process may lead to the exclusion of securities of certain issuers. Consequently, (the Sub-Fund’s) performance may at times be better or worse than the performance of relatable funds that do not apply such standards.
Fixed income sub-funds may be exposed to other risks defined below:
CAPITAL LOSS RISK: The value of the investments in Financial Instrument(s) and the returns generated by the described funds may go down as well as up. Investors may not get back the amount they originally invested.
INTEREST RATE RISK: The value of an investment may be affected by interest rate fluctuations. Interest rates may be influenced by several elements or events, such as monetary policy, the discount rate, inflation, etc.
CREDIT RISK: This is the risk that may derive from the rating downgrade of a bond issuer to which the sub-funds are exposed, which may therefore cause the value of the investments to go down. Sub-funds investing in high-yield bonds present a higher than average risk due to the greater fluctuation of their currency or the quality of the issuer.
COUNTERPARTY RISK: This risk relates to the quality or the default of the counterparty with which the Management Company negotiates, in particular involving payment for/delivery of financial instruments and the signing of agreements involving forward financial instruments. This risk is associated with the ability of the counterparty to fulfil its commitments (for example: payment, delivery and reimbursement). This risk also relates to efficient portfolio management techniques and instruments. If counterparty does not live up to its contractual obligations, it may affect investor returns.
MMFs ARE NOT GUARANTEED INVESTMENTS. An investment in MMFs is different from an investment in deposits, there is a risk that the principal invested in an MMF is capable of fluctuation. The MMF does not rely on external support for guaranteeing the liquidity of the MMF or stabilising the NAV per unit or share. The risk of loss of the principal is to be borne by the investor.
ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG) INVESTMENT RISK: The lack of common or harmonized definitions and labels integrating ESG and sustainability criteria at EU level may result in different approaches by managers when setting ESG objectives. This also means that it may be difficult to compare strategies integrating ESG and sustainability criteria to the extent that the selection and weightings applied to select investments may be based on metrics that may share the same name but have different underlying meanings. In evaluating a security based on the ESG and sustainability criteria, the Investment Manager may also use data sources provided by external ESG research providers. Given the evolving nature of ESG, these data sources may for the time being be incomplete, inaccurate or unavailable. Applying responsible business conduct standards in the investment process may lead to the exclusion of securities of certain issuers. Consequently, the Sub-Fund’s performance may at times be better or worse than the performance of relatable funds that do not apply such standards.
This is not an exhaustive list of risks. For a full description of risks associated with each fund, please consult a client relationship manager or the global BNP Paribas Asset Management website: staging.bnpparibas-am.co.uk.
