The Macquarie Energy Transition ETF seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in a diversified portfolio of securities in the energy, materials, industrial, renewable energy, and utilities sectors that meet the Fund’s investment criteria noted below. The investment criteria includes companies that meet the Manager’s definition of “transition enablers” or “responsible producers,” as further described below. The Fund’s strategy seeks to realize inefficiencies in the global transition to cleaner, lower carbon energy in a world of increasing energy demand and uncertain energy supply. The Fund may invest in companies of any size and located across the world; however, the Fund generally will focus its investments on companies domiciled in North America.

The Fund seeks to invest its assets primarily in two types of companies. The first group of companies are ones that Delaware Management Company, the Fund’s investment adviser (Manager) believes are facilitating the transition to new, lower carbon energy sources, such as solar or wind energy, as well as the increasing electrification of areas that have traditionally relied on fossil fuels, such as transportation. The Manager considers these companies to be “transition enablers” that have a portion of their business committed to actively developing and/or exposed to products and services designed to produce lower-emitting alternatives to fossil fuels, or providers of services or materials required for the energy transition or low greenhouse gas energy production. In seeking to identify “transition enablers,” the Manager uses proprietary and third-party research to determine what technologies have the greatest likelihood of succeeding and profiting from the energy transition. The Manager then uses this macro view to determine the individual components and services that will be required to fully deploy these technologies. For example, the Manager believes the deployment of solar, wind power and electric vehicles are likely to witness an increase in demand from the energy transition, while basic materials essential to the production and implementation of such technologies (e.g., copper or aluminum), will also serve as catalysts for an energy transition.

The second category of companies, “responsible producers,” includes traditional energy exploration and production companies with the potential to transition to lower emission power production, as well as providers of materials needed to augment low greenhouse gas (GHG) energy production. To be classified in this category the companies must be producers that are actively working toward reducing, displacing and/or sequestering their GHG emissions, potentially including companies that currently have a high level of absolute GHG emissions. Companies in this category also need to produce in a responsible manner by limiting/controlling water usage/discharge and spills and operate in a socially responsible manner (for example no use of child labor) while ensuring proper governance especially when operating in higher risk jurisdictions. “Higher risk jurisdictions” are those that may have corruption, poverty, and violence, in addition to looser safety regulations, child labor risks, modern slavery risks, and bribery. The Manager carefully analyzes each company, utilizing company disclosures, third party research and proprietary analysis, to determine whether a company is properly identifying, monitoring and addressing these social and governance issues and risks, particularly when such companies operate in jurisdictions exhibiting these high-risk characteristics.

To be considered a “responsible producer,” companies must have a significant portion of its business committed to responsible production, which might include low carbon production, limited methane, responsible water usage, careful reclamation, or limited flaring in oil and gas production. Importantly, the proportion of energy or mining such companies produce responsibly is expected to increase or at least remain constant. Companies are required to remain focused on the cleanest approaches to production, rather than a full transition to significantly lower emission power production. Nuclear energy is included in this category on the basis it provides a low emission source of base load power, complimenting the low emission but intermittent power provided by renewables.

The Manager conducts an initial screening of the universe of “transition enablers and ”responsible producers“ using its proprietary environmental framework for companies that leverages the Manager’s own views, in-house knowledge base and best practices, along with external resources like Sustainalytics and Bloomberg. The Manager then analyzes each investable opportunity that fits the criteria of a ”transition enabler“ or ”responsible producer.“ While the Fund will invest in both companies that the Manager considers to be ”transition enablers“ and companies it considers ”responsible producers“, the Manager expects that ”transition enabler“ companies will gradually take an increasing share of the portfolio over the long-term. Also, investments can be made in securities that may score poorly on a particular ESG metric if the risk is properly disclosed and is being monitored and addressed and the company otherwise passes the Manager’s screen of ”transition enablers“ and ”responsible producers.“ The Manager’s proprietary fundamental process analyzes the environmental attributes of portfolio companies involved in oil and gas and materials extraction, refining or fabrication. For companies involved in renewable energies or lower carbon technologies, the environmental and sustainability attributes are analyzed using third party research. Investments can be made in securities that may have been identified as having heightened environmental, social or governance risks if those risks are properly disclosed and are being monitored and addressed.

The Manager then uses a proprietary fundamental process to analyze each investable opportunity. The Manager evaluates these “responsible producers” as well as “transition enablers” on various financial measures to determine which companies present an attractive risk/reward. Financial measures include 1) sector and company growth profile; 2) relative financial multiples; 3) net asset value; 4) balance sheet and cash flow analysis; and 5) various other financial measures depending on the industry and opportunity. Position sizing is determined based on numerous risk factors such as 1) security domicile; 2) company asset domicile; 3) financial risk; 4) security liquidity; and 5) sub-sector exposures. The portfolio is constantly monitored to maximize returns while reducing risk. Positions presenting a more favorable risk/return profile will typically be larger positions within the Fund’s portfolio. The Manager’s proprietary fundamental process analyzes the environmental attributes of portfolio companies involved in oil and gas and materials extraction, refining or fabrication.

Generally, in determining whether to sell a security, the Manager uses the same type of analysis that it uses when buying securities to determine whether the security continues to be a desired investment for the Fund, including consideration of the security’s current valuation. Additionally, the Manager may sell a security to reduce the Fund’s holding in that security, to take advantage of what it believes are more attractive investment opportunities or to raise cash. Positions will be exited if the Manager believes they no longer are favorably valued or they no longer meet the Manager’s criteria as a “responsible producer” or “transition enabler” based on new information that becomes available to the Manager.

The Manager may permit its affiliates, Macquarie Investment Management Global Limited (MIMGL) to execute Fund security trades on behalf of the Manager. The Manager may also seek quantitative support from MIMGL.

The Fund’s 80% policy is nonfundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval. However, Fund shareholders would be given at least 60 days’ notice prior to any such change.