Global investment firm F&C Management has plans to open an Australian office as it launches a fund to local institutional investors.

"We feel the time is right for us to enter the Australian market. Many Australian superannuation funds are signatories to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. Now that the GFC (global financial crisis) is over we believe these funds will refocus their efforts on investment sustainability," F&C Management director of institutional business Greg Skinner said.

Catholic Super is a client of the firm. The fund uses F&C Management's engagement and proxy voting service.

The firm will now give Australian investors access to its environmental, social and governance (ESG) emerging markets strategy.

"Emerging market equity investment is one of F&C's core competencies and we are pleased that this strategy is available to Australian institutions, enabling them to access the very attractive growth opportunities to be found in emerging markets, as well as benefiting from sustainable development," F&C associate director Alexis Krajeski said.

The strategy will be led by the London-based Jeff Chowdhry, who heads the firm's emerging equities teams.

Krajeski said emerging economies and their governments had realised they had a one-off chance to shape the development paths of their economies and were fully committed to implementing strategies that met the most pressing ESG issues, including climate change.

She said China and India had already embarked on huge investment initiatives in infrastructure and public transport systems to help their economies grow and keep a lid on greenhouse gas emissions.

F&C Management manages $156 billion in assets.