On 1 October 2025, Martin Currie aligned under ClearBridge Investments and the distribution of all Australian Pooled Funds moved to Franklin Templeton

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Global Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy

A global listed infrastructure strategy that aims to invest in listed infrastructure assets with certain characteristics such as lower carbon emissions and favourable ESG ratings as determined by the investment manager.

Why Invest in the Global Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy

Within a portfolio, the infrastructure asset class offers investors the potential for:

Due to the essential nature of infrastructure assets, demand is relatively stable and may provide lower volatility than traditional equities. Even at times of economic weakness, consumers continue to use water, electricity and gas, drive cars on toll roads and use other essential infrastructure services.

Infrastructure companies provide predictable income distributions due to stable earnings derived from the underlying asset. Regulation and/or long-term contracts provide stable cash flow and greater capital stability, which may provide visibility for revenues and dividends.

Most infrastructure assets have an explicit link to inflation through regulation, concession agreements or contracts which can provide inflation protection to investors.

Infrastructure can act as a good alternative diversifier in a portfolio, given its lower correlation to asset classes such as equities and bonds. This is because the underlying return streams are linked to regulatory or contractual frameworks, rather than typical drivers of equity and bond returns. This diversification benefit may increase in times of market stress, meaning that infrastructure can provide protection exactly when it is needed the most.

Investing in global listed security markets provides us with the flexibility to take advantage of market movements and the agility to invest where we, as active managers, see the best opportunities for our clients.

Portfolio Management Team

The Global Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy is managed by an experienced investment committee comprising of the following members:

The Portfolio Management Team is employed by ClearBridge Investments Limited.

Nick Langley

Nick Langley

Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, Head of Real Assets
Shane Hurst

Shane Hurst

Managing Director, Portfolio Manager
Charles Hamieh

Charles Hamieh

Managing Director, Portfolio Manager

What Makes Us Different

We aim to deliver an infrastructure return through the listed markets, not an equity return via infrastructure stocks. To achieve this, our proprietary investable universes include only 'core infrastructure' securities. These companies own hard assets that are essential to society and have regulatory and/or contractual frameworks which provide stable and predictable cash flows.

Our approach to company valuation mirrors that used by unlisted infrastructure investors and centres around the belief that, over time, the underlying value of assets is reflected in long-term cash flows. Many generalist investors take a shorter term view which can create market mispricings. These differences provide clear investment signals, allowing our specialist investment team to position portfolios that may generate long-term infrastructure returns.

ClearBridge's infrastructure investment team believes that an absolute return, inflation-linked benchmark is the most appropriate primary measure against which to evaluate the long-term performance of a listed infrastructure strategy. This approach ensures portfolio construction focuses on delivering long-term real returns and provides flexibility to manage through changing economic environments, as opposed to index relative positioning which can adversely impact stock selection decisions over the long term.

Our specialist infrastructure investment team is one of the largest in the peer group. Our specialist focus seeks to provide long-term value for investors. Our specialist team has a diverse range of specific skills developed from backgrounds including unlisted infrastructure investing, research, and roles working for or advising regulators, governments, infrastructure companies and investors. Our team are infrastructure experts managing funds, not fund managers investing in infrastructure. 

Understanding and managing the relationship between risk and returns as it applies to infrastructure assets is at the heart of our bottom-up investment process. 

Key Portfolio Information

Growth of AUD $10,000

31 August 2025

As at 31 August 2025

Performance 1 Month 3 Months 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years Inception2
ClearBridge Global Sustainable Infrastructure1 -1.2% -0.9% 10.7% 5.9% - 7.9%
OECD G7 Inflation Index + 5.5% pa 0.6% 2.2% 8.0% 8.9% - 10.2%
Excess Returns -1.8% -3.1% 2.7% -3.0% 0.0% -2.3%

As at 31 August 2025

  • Regulated & Contracted Utilities
  • User Pays Infrastructure
  • Cash
  • Other

As at 31 August 2025

Top 10 Positions Region Sector Portfolio
Weight %		 Forward
Yield %
Severn Trent Plc Western Europe Water 5.3% 4.9%
Ferrovial Western Europe Toll Roads 5.2% 1.7%
Redeia Corporacion SA Western Europe Electric 5.0% 5.1%
GetLink Western Europe Rail 4.9% 4.0%
Enel SpA Western Europe Electric 4.8% 6.1%
Cellnex Western Europe Communications 4.6% 0.3%
ENAV Western Europe Other Infrastructure 4.3% 6.7%
NextEra USA & Canada Electric 4.2% 3.4%
Pennon Western Europe Water 3.8% 6.5%
Vinci Western Europe Toll Roads 3.8% 4.8%
Portfolio Weighted Average August 2025
Avg Market Capitalisation 56.4bn (AUD)
Div Yield (Forward) Gross 4.1%
5 Yr DPS Growth (p.a.) 6.0%
Avg Stock Gearing (Net Debt/EV) 38.5%
Interest Cover (Historic) 4.4x
EV/EBITDA (Forward) 12.2x

Investing in the Global Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy

Ready to Invest?

We offer access to this Strategy via segregated accounts. For more information on ClearBridge’s institutional capabilities, please get in touch.

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Disclaimer

1 Internal calculations for the Global Sustainable Infrastructure Strategy. All index data sourced from FactSet. Strategy performance is composite performance, shown gross of fees. Results over one year annualised. All values in AUD and net of withholding taxes for benchmarks, if applicable. Non-AUD values converted into AUD using FactSet Forex data.
2 Performance inception date: 31 May 2021.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investment returns can be volatile and may be influenced by market movements, currency fluctuations, and other factors.

This information is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute financial product advice. It has been prepared without taking into account any investor’s objectives, financial situation, or needs. Investors should consider the appropriateness of the information in light of their own circumstances and seek independent financial advice before making any investment decision.

References to specific securities, industries, or sectors are not recommendations to buy, sell, or hold any particular investment. Any target returns, performance (and related information), and dividend yields are based on internal research and are subject to change without notice. There is no assurance that a Strategy will meet its objectives.

ClearBridge Investments, LLC claims compliance with the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS®) and has prepared and presented this report in compliance with the GIPS standards. ClearBridge Investments, LLC ("ClearBridge") is a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin”). In July 2020 Legg Mason, Inc., its parent company, was purchased by Franklin. The investment advisory business now known as ClearBridge was registered in September 2005 to facilitate Legg Mason's acquisition of substantially all the equity asset management businesses known as Citigroup Asset Management. These former businesses serve as the foundation of ClearBridge and its claim of GIPS compliance for institutional accounts through predecessor firms, effective as of January 1997. In June 2008, ClearBridge combined this business with its retail business to form a single GIPS firm. As of April 1, 2013, January 1, 2016, May 1, 2020, and January 1, 2024 ClearBridge affiliates, Global Currents Investment Management, LLC, ClearBridge, LLC, ClearBridge Investments Limited (f/k/a RARE Infrastructure Limited), and Franklin Bissett Asset Management have become part of the ClearBridge GIPS firm.

The ClearBridge Global Sustainable Infrastructure composite consists of institutional discretionary accounts with no account minimum.  All accounts within the composite will generally hold between 30-60 listed infrastructure securities across a number of sub-sectors such as gas, electricity, water, utilities, toll-roads, airports etc. across developed and developing regions, with a focus on investing in listed infrastructure leaders in sustainability. The main risks of this strategy are issuer risk, equity risk, market volatility risk, foreign security risk, emerging market risk, economic risk and concentration risk. ClearBridge has chosen an absolute return, inflation linked benchmark as the most appropriate primary measure against which to evaluate the long term performance of the Composite. This is an accumulation index comprised of the OECD G7 inflation + 5.5% pa. The composite strategy invests in individuals securities in accordance with the strategy description and is comprised of materially different investments than the benchmark. To receive a complete list and description of ClearBridge composites and/or a presentation that adheres to the GIPS standards, please contact us.

Franklin Templeton Australia Limited ("FTAL") is the issuer and Responsible Entity of all ClearBridge managed funds. Retail funds’ offering documents, factsheets and application materials are hosted exclusively on the FTAL website. Any links to the FTAL website are provided for convenience only and ClearBridge Investments is not responsible for the maintenance or content of those external pages. Linking does not imply an offer, recommendation or solicitation to purchase.