ABP wants to offer all participants a good pension both now and in the future. A pension they can enjoy in a livable world. That’s why we pay attention to returns, risk, costs and sustainability performance with every investment decision we make.
Recent academic research and our own experience have convinced us that it is possible to increase the sustainability performance of the investment portfolio, without this coming at the expense of the return or risk profile of our investments.
Engaging with participants and civil society organizations is an important part of our sustainable and responsible investing policy. ABP wants to be transparent about its policy and how it is implemented. This is why we share our views on relevant ecological, social and governance (ESG) topics in position papers.
In this position paper we give ABP’s view on the energy transition and show how this is reflected in our investments. This paper focuses on our investments in primary energy producers* and energy suppliers in the utilities sector. We frequently receive questions on our approach to energy companies from participants and civil society organizations.
ABP wants to offer all our participants a good pension now and in the future – one they can enjoy in a livable world. That is why we carefully consider the return, risk, and cost, as well as the social responsibility and sustainability performance of each investment decision we make. In our new policy on sustainable and responsible investing (SRI), we reestablish our goals as long-term investors and explain how we intend to achieve them. Our vision on a sustainable future looks toward 2050 and outlines our 2030 ambitions based on this vision. Our concrete goals for 2025 are the first step on the way to achieving our long-term ambitions and vision – all built on the foundation of our 2015-2020 policy.
China’s unexpected pledge last September to become carbon neutral by 2060 has left many observers both excited and perplexed.
Was it a logical next step after the country’s commitment to the 2015 Paris climate agreement, yet another case of political greenwashing at a time when many other countries are falling behind on their pledges or, perhaps, a real game-changing moment for humankind? Maybe it was a bit of all three. Only time will tell.
Recognizing that climate-related financial reporting is still evolving, the Task Force’s recommendations provide a foundation to improve investors’ and others’ ability to appropriately assess and price climate-related risk and opportunities. The Task Force’s recommendations aim to be ambitious, but also practical for near-term adoption. The Task Force expects to advance the quality of mainstream financial disclosures related to the potential effects of climate change on organizations today and in the future and to increase investor engagement with boards and senior management on climate-related issues.
A piece from Tariq Fancy, Ex-CIO for Sustainable Investing at Blackrock / Founder of Rumie.org: “This is the first of a three-part essay that shares how my thinking evolved from evangelizing ‘sustainable investing’ for the world’s largest investment firm to decrying it as a dangerous placebo that harms the public interest. It’s not short. But this topic is critically important: it lies at the heart of how we reform capitalism to address important environmental and social challenges with concrete action. I challenge business leaders who have advocated the ideas I question below to offer a serious rebuttal.”