Save the future.

Save for yours.

500

Save the future.

Save for yours.

500
As seen on

1

We offer the first 401(k) climate impact platform.1

The average 401(k) has 33x more emissions than the company itself. The AtmoSphere helps sustainability teams measure the financed emissions from 401(k)s, report those emissions, and learn how to work with benefits teams to reduce those emissions.

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Source: Mercer—page 8

2

We run a climate-friendly fund made for 401(k)s.2

The Sphere 500 Climate Fund (SPFFX) tracks the Sphere 500 Fossil-Free Index. It invests in the biggest 500 US companies, minus fossil fuel companies. We vote our shares for climate action. It's designed to check the key boxes fiduciaries look for in a 401(k) offering.

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Believe it or not,

99%

of Americans with 401(k)s are invested in fossil fuels.3

That means

$800B

is invested in fossil fuels just through 401(k)s.

How is this possible?

99%

Source: According to ICI, $11 trillion were invested in retirement funds as of 9/30/22. According to As You Sow, fossil fuels made up 9.34% the S&P 500 as of 6/23/23.

How is this possible?

84%

of Americans are worried about climate change.

81%

didn’t know they’re investing in fossil fuels through their 401(k).

70%

are not happy their 401(k) is invested in fossil fuels when they find out.

Source: Pew Research, Sphere survey

401(k) investments in fossil fuels

Amounts invested in fossil fuels via company 401(k)s

Walmart

$1.63B

Microsoft

$974M

Google

$628M

Apple

$447M

Amazon

$351M

Tesla

$30M

Source: DOL data obtained from 2021 Form 5500 public filings, tabulating the inclusion of fossil fuels.

Together we are changing this.

For the first time, there’s a company that’s entirely focused on helping you improve your 401(k) climate impact.

It can be hard to get a climate-friendly investment option onto a 401(k) plan. The AtmoSphere platform helps sustainability teams understand how to reduce  401(k) emissions without having to change providers, and the Sphere 500 Climate Fund (SPFFX) is a climate-friendly fund option that can be added to existing retirement plans.

We created the Sphere 500 fund to offer a simple and transparent approach to sustainability that can check all the boxes that benefits teams look for when qualifying an investment fund for a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement savings plan.

We don't invest in oil & gas companies.

The first step in addressing climate change is to send a message to oil & gas companies loud and clear: no more business as usual. It’s time for the status quo to change.

We do reduce emissions.

The Sphere 500 Climate Fund has lower emissions than the S&P 500, because it excludes fossil fuel companies, which are the biggest contributor to global emissions.5

We do vote your shares for the planet.

Did you know that mutual funds vote on company shareholder proposals on your behalf? Most funds automatically vote however the board recommends. SPFFX votes for the planet.

“As a company focused on helping stop climate change, Voltus needed this solution. I was excited when so many on my team signed up and even happier when they told me how easy the process was.”

Matthew Plante

President at Voltus

“A climate-friendly 401(k) option shows me my company actually cares about my views and the planet.”

Lauren Fraser

Cofounder of RightHandGreen
Formerly at Facebook and Rewiring America

“Companies around the world are making bold climate commitments. Adding Sphere is a no-brainer part of any climate plan.”

Maren Costa

Principal Design Lead at Microsoft
Cofounder of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice

The testimonials  given were not paid for, are not giving investment advice, and do not have a technical aspect of investing.

A fund that can check all the boxes.

Affordable

Environmentally-friendly funds often are priced at a premium(4). SPFFX is priced 8.5x lower than most climate-friendly funds, and is more in line with standard index funds. This pricing is intended to make it appropriate for 401(k) plans.

Expense ratio comparison
0.07%

Sphere 500 Climate Fund (SPFFX)

0.61%

A typical climate-friendly fund

Source
Simple to start

SPFFX is designed to be added to existing 401(k) plans, so you don't have to switch providers to offer a climate-friendly choice.

Platforms include:
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The top 500 minus fossil fuels

SPFFX is the top 500 US companies by market capitalization, minus 86 companies. The independent non-profit As You Sow creates the list of fossil fuel, utility, and other companies that is excluded from the Sphere 500 Fossil-Free Index.

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SPFFX
TOP 500

417 / 500

Holdings

Let your team put their money where their heart is.

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RISKS AND DISCLOSURE
Before investing in the Sphere 500 Climate Fund (“SPFFX”), carefully consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses.  To obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus which contains this and other information, please visit https://oursphere.org/fund or talk to your financial advisor. Read it carefully before investing.

As with all investments, there are risks involved with investing in SPFFX. Climate Investing Consideration Risk-Considerations related to climate risk, such as environmental criteria (e.g., fossil fuel screens), applied to the Index’s construction may limit the number of investment opportunities available to the Fund, and as a result, at times, the Fund may underperform funds that are not subject to similar investment restrictions. For example, the Index may exclude certain securities due to climate-focused considerations when other investment considerations would suggest that investing in such securities would be advantageous. The Fund may also underperform funds that invest in the energy and utilities sectors, particularly in times of rising oil, gas and energy prices. Other risks include, but are not limited to general market risk, small fund risk, large cap risk, common stock risk, sector risk, industry concentration risk, passive investment risk, index calculation risk, limited operating history risk, cybersecurity risk, tracking error risk, operation risk, and third-party data risks as it relates to the composition of the Index. For a detailed explanation of the risks associated with SPFFX and the underlying Index, please read the prospectus.

The Sphere 500 Climate Fund tracks the Sphere 500 Fossil-Free Index (SPFFXI). The Index is constructed beginning with the largest 500 U.S. companies that trade on regulated U.S. exchanges by market capitalization.  The index administrator, BITA GmbH, then eliminates companies from this investable universe using data obtained from As You Sow, an unaffiliated non-profit organization that promotes environmental responsibility through shareholder advocacy.  As You Sow eliminates companies from the Index based primarily on their risk profile of being exposed to the fossil fuel industry and secondarily, by other exclusionary screens, including companies engaged in deforestation activities, civilian and military firearms manufacturing and related guns/arms sales, prison and border security operations, and tobacco and e-cigarette manufacturing.  The elimination of these companies from the Index is intended to foster and support the climate-focused, social investing goals of the Fund. The fund may invest in companies that use fossil fuels as a part of their business or have used fossil fuels in the past. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Index returns do not reflect the effects of fees or expenses. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted above. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. For performance information current to the most recent month-end, please call toll-free 844-2-SPHERE.

Index performance is discussed for illustrative purposes only as a benchmark for each strategy’s performance and does not predict or depict performance of that strategy.  While index comparisons may be useful to provide a benchmark for a strategy’s performance, it must be noted that investments are not limited to the investments comprising the indices.  Each of the strategy benchmark indices are unmanaged and cannot be purchased directly by investors. Past performance does not guarantee future results. No portion of the content should be considered a solicitation to buy or an offer to sell shares of the fund in any jurisdiction where the solicitation or offer would be deemed unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The Sphere 500 Climate Fund is distributed by Ultimus Fund Distributors, LLC, member of FINRA and SIPC, which is not affiliated with Sphere or SPFFX. NOT FDIC INSURED NOT BANK GUARANTEED. MAY LOSE VALUE.

1. Carbon accounting platforms have never included 401(k) in their measurements. AtmoSphere is the first to offer an emissions analysis of a company's 401(k) holdings, based on an industry analysis. AtmoSphere is a proprietary platform using publicly available retirement plan disclosure information to calculate exposure to fossil fuels and emissions from retirement plan investments.

2. In order to quality for a 401(k), it must be a mutual fund or CIT, have low fees, and provide comparable returns to what a company currently offers. Green funds can have very high fees. EFTs that are fossil free do not qualify. Sphere 500 Climate Fund is the first tool to check all the boxes. Based on the Sphere 500 Climate Fund's combination of performance compared to a benchmark, fee structure relative to peers, and availability for addition to retirement plan investment menus.

3. Based on research by Sphere and Reflection Asset Management.

4. The average fee of the top 100 environmental funds .61%, based on data on fossilfuelfunds.org

5. The Sphere 500 Fossil-Free Index does not include companies whose main lines of business include producing, distributing, or refining fossil fuels, holding reserves of fossil fuels, utilities that are primarily fossil fuel-powered, and producers of equipment for any of the above. However, the fund may invest in companies that use fossil fuels as a part of their business or have used fossil fuels in the past. According to the US EPA, "the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities in the United States is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation." We have never invested in fossil fuel companies, and as a result, when compared to a traditional benchmark such as the S&P 500, by definition our emissions from fossil fuels has been materially lower. Source: Bloomberg, LP.

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17549636-UFD 11/03/2023
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