Handelsbanken Liv achieves goal of excluding fossil fuels ahead of schedule

2021-10-29
Handelsbanken Liv achieves goal of excluding fossil fuels ahead of schedule

Handelsbanken Liv heeds the call for tougher climate action ahead of the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Handelsbanken Liv's goal is to minimise its climate impact in line with the Paris Agreement, and to achieve net zero emissions of greenhouse gases as soon as possible, and by 2040 at the latest. One of the sub-goals is to offer a range of funds that excludes fossil fuels.

In August, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its latest climate report, which firmly establishes a clear link between emissions of greenhouse gases caused by humans and the increase in the average global temperature. The report highlights the gravity of the situation and makes clear that we will experience major climate changes, as well as emphasising that if the current trend continues, the goal of the Paris Agreement - limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees - could be impossible to achieve within 10-20 years.

"Handelsbanken Liv aims to see capital making a contribution to a better future - for coming generations and for our planet. For several years now, we have worked actively to influence fund managers to exclude investments in fossil fuels, and to restructure their investments. We are now excluding all remaining mutual funds that do not comply with our enhanced sustainability criteria," says Martin Björgell, Product Manager at Handelsbanken Liv.

By December, the capital invested in the BlackRock World Gold Fund, and in the Fidelity Asian Special Solutions Fond, will be transferred to replacement funds with better sustainability criteria.

"The gold and commodity sectors are characterised by high carbon dioxide emissions and contaminants linked to mining activities. We want to create conditions for better pensions, in terms of both return and sustainability. In order to minimise the rise in temperature, emissions must be massively reduced, and quickly. This is crucial for the environment and for biodiversity as well," says Marie Hamre, Product Specialist, Investments, Handelsbanken Liv.

Additional climate-related financial disclosures:

During October 2021, Handelsbanken Liv further strengthened its sustainability criteria for selecting and evaluating mutual funds and fund management companies. Between 2018 and 2020, the climate footprint, measured in terms of carbon dioxide intensity weighted average (CO2e/SEK m), decreased by 35 per cent. During 2020, the exposure to climate-relevant sectors in the equity portfolio was also reduced from 5.8 per cent to 4.1 per cent.

Mutual fund events for Handelsbanken Liv's range of funds for unit-linked insurance:

Listed below are the mutual funds that have been, or will be, excluded from Handelsbanken Liv's range of funds. Also listed are the replacement funds to which the capital has been, or will be, transferred.

Excluded mutual funds 2021	Replacement fund	Sustainability profile
Fidelity Asian Special Situations Fund	Handelsbanken Asien Tema	Promote sustainability (art. 8)
BlackRock World Gold Fund	Handelsbanken Korträntefond SEK	Promote sustainability (art. 8)
Lynx Dynamics	JP Morgan Global Macro Sustainable	Promote sustainability (art. 8)
JP Morgan Systematic Alpha	JP Morgan Global Macro Sustainable	Promote sustainability (art. 8)
Skagen Kontiki	Handelsbanken Tillväxtmarknad Tema	Promote sustainability (art. 8)
Skagen Global	Öhman Global Hållbar	Promote sustainability (art. 8)

During the year, Handelsbanken Fonder has also implemented changes which further strengthen the focus on sustainability in the range of funds for unit-linked insurance offered by Handelsbanken Liv.

Mutual fund	Event	Sustainability profile
Handelsbanken Tillväxtmarknad Tema	Nordic Swan Ecolabelled	Promote sustainability (art. 8)
Handelsbanken Global Tema	Nordic Swan Ecolabelled	Promote sustainability (art. 8)
Handelsbanken Global Momentum	Added to the range	Promote sustainability (art. 8)
Handelsbanken Norge Tema	Sustainability adaptation measures	Promote sustainability (art. 8)

About risk
A fund's historical return is no guarantee for future returns. The money you have saved can both increase and decrease in value, and it is not certain that you will get back all the capital you have invested. A complete information brochure containing fund rules, fact sheets and performance is available atwww.handelsbanken.se/fonder.

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