The Council on Ethics of the Swedish AP Funds (AP1, AP2, AP3 and AP4) have organised a group of institutional investors with EUR 6.4 trillion in combined assets under management to collaboratively engage tech giants with the aim to strengthen their management of human rights risks and impacts.
Jenny Gustafsson has been appointed as the new Head of the AP Funds’ Council on Ethics. Jenny joins the Council from AMF and will lead the work of further strengthening the Council and contributing both to value creation in the income pension system and to more sustainable societies. The recruitment is part of the development of the Council.
The AP Funds’ Council on Ethics had a highly active 2022, with more than 3,200 companies being screened for possible violations and incidents. One project that was successfully closed in 2022 centred on child labour in the cocoa sector. A further 16 new dialogues were initiated. In eight proactive projects the focus is on human rights, the climate and corporate governance and 86 reactive company dialogues are ongoing, aimed at addressing and preventing serious accidents and incidents linked to lack of sustainability.
AP4 received several awards at the annual Investments & Pensions Europe 2022 conference.
The AP Funds' Council on Ethics is expanding in response to an audit conducted during the year. The Council on Ethics has decided to recruit an executive director whose duties will include establishing an administrative office to continue to drive positive change in companies in which the AP Funds have holdings.
Volkswagen AG is facing a legal action by institutional shareholders after it refused repeated attempts to reveal crucial information on its corporate climate lobbying. This is the first time investors have started European litigation on a climate-related matter. The case was filed this week.
Proud and happy, AP4 recently received the award: "Sovereign wealth fund of the year" which Environmental Finance stands behind and publishes every year.
The AP Funds’ Council on Ethics sums up a very active 2021and further increases transparency. The annual report presents a more transparent account of the impact dialogues and the milestones achieved. Eight proactive projects have been conducted to improve sustainability in difficult and vulnerable sectors and 85 reactive company dialogues have been conducted to enable companies to address serious incidents and prevent future incidents.
AP4 received three awards and four nominations at the IPE Awards 2021, which were presented in December, at an award ceremony in Barcelona.
The First, Second, Third and Fourth AP funds will jointly conduct a strategic review of the Council on Ethics, as ESG and responsible investment practices are increasingly integrated into the AP Funds' asset management strategies and objectives. In connection to this, John Howchin, Secretary General of the Council on Ethics since 2009, announces that he is leaving his role.
At the IPE Real Estate Awards 2021 AP4 won two fine awards in the categories "Global Estate Investor of the Year" and "Investment in Europe".
The Impact Taskforce, created under the UK's G7 presidency, presented at the July meeting who its members are. Marcus Svedberg, investment strategist at AP4 is the only Swedish representative.
At the IPE Real Assets & Infrastructure Global Investor Awards that were held in May 2021, AP4 won an award in the “Indirect Strategy” category
We are very happy and proud that Mats Andersson, the former CEO of AP4, has been awarded the French Legion of Honour at a ceremony at the French Embassy in Stockholm.
4 to 1 Investments KB, a company owned jointly by the Swedish National Pension (AP) Funds (AP1, AP2, AP3, AP4), is investing USD 400 million in Northvolt by participating in $2.75 billion private placement.
The Council on Ethics sees clear results from collaborating on impact processes. In 2020, the privacy issues of tech companies and impact on climate transition were high on the agenda. It is clear that collaboration is crucial for having an impact on important issues requiring development and change.
A group of institutions including AP4, IMAS Foundation, Industriens Pension and KLP have formed an investment alliance partnership with Arjun Infrastructure Partners to invest in low-risk European infrastructure.
The Council on Ethics of the Swedish National Pension Funds (AP-funds) has issued a new statement of its expectations of global tech companies on human rights. The expectations demand that tech giants reinforce measures to respect human rights and fully align their work with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights.
For more than 13 years, the AP Funds’ Council on Ethics has exercised influence on the AP Funds’ global portfolio of listed companies to improve their environmental, human rights and corporate governance work through engagement and dialogue. During 2019, the Council on Ethics’ efforts and involvement have focused on areas such as inadequate safety in managing mine waste, known as ‘tailings’. Other focus areas include money laundering, long-term environmental efforts in the oil industry, and deforestation in South America.
Niklas Ekvall participated in a panel discussion on this year Fiduciary Investors Symposium. The panel discussion was about Climate change integration and Niklas was accompanied by Salwa Boussoukaya-Nasr, CIO at Fonds de réserve pour les retraites.
Participating in nomination committees, in order to get the best possible board for each company, is one of AP4's most important tasks as owners. Working in nomination committees therefore has high priority.
The Church of England Pensions Board and the Council of Ethics of the Swedish National Pension Funds (the Council on Ethics) will represent investors through the industry organisation PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment) in a joint initiative with ICMM (International Council on Mining & Metals) and the UN (UN Environment Program) with the aim of creating an international standard for mine tailing dams.
AP4 is one out of 415 investors who signed the Global Investor Statement, which supports the Paris Agreement’s goals and vigorously urges the world’s governments to quickly implement the necessary measures.
AP4 supports the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures' (TCFD) recommendations. Now TCFD has published its 2018 Status Report to the Financial Stability Board (FSB).
The changes to the investment guidelines for the AP Funds are near. These changes will are planned to be implemented in two steps. The first step, which will give the AP Funds increased possibilities to allocate to illiquid investments, will be effective as of January 1, 2019. The second step, which aims to enable the AP Funds to invest in unlisted instruments directly, is planned to take effect on July 1, 2019. These changes are a welcome modernization of the current investment guidelines that are almost 20 years old by now.
AP4 has finalized the sale of more than 20 coal companies from the global equities portfolio. The sale means that AP4 now reduces the carbon footprint to approximately 57 percent of that of a broad global equities index*.
During the spring of 2018, as a partner of the Jobbsprånget programme, AP4 will offer two internships to university graduates that have recently arrived in Sweden.
Niklas Ekvalls letter from the CEO from AP4's Interim Report 2017.
AP4 supports the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations on climate-related financial disclosures.
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
AP4, together with over 200 global investors (managing more than $15 Trillion in assets), urge G7 and G20 to stand by the Paris Agreement and drive its swift implementation and to publicly express their commitment to support climate finance to both mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.
Earlier this week the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) was launched. The initiative will assess how a transition to a low-carbon economy can affect their investments. The Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund (AP4) is a part of the initiative that in total consists of 13 international asset owners and five international asset managers.
AP4 is now represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equites.
Investment & Pension Europe (IPE) awarded AP4 the price, IPE Gold Award – Long-term Investment Strategy.
The French Ministry of the Environment, the Treasury and 2° Investing Initiative assigned AP4 a special mention in the presentation of this year's 2° Invest Award - the International Award on Investor Climate-Related Disclosures.
AP4 has made a business decision not to invest in tobacco companies given the risks involved are deemed to be significant and that over time these companies will underperform the index.¹ "Tobacco company" refers to companies that manufacture tobacco products for smoking (cigarettes, cigars, etc.) and snuff in various forms.
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
AP4 is part of a $1.25 trillion coalition of 40 institutional investors, including AP2, AP3, Aviva Investors, Boston Common, Coller Capital, Folksam, Nordea and Robeco.
AP4 is one of nine global investors that has pledged our intention to invest in accordance with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In order to promote and encourage these kinds of value-creating investments, here after Sustainable Development Investments (SDI), a defintion is provided.
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
AP4 has been awarded the highest rating (AAA) and positioned itself in third place out of 500 institutional investors in the Asset Owners Disclosure Project (AODP) Global Climate 500 Index. An increase from last year when AP4 was placed on a ninth place.
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
The Ethical Council of the Swedish AP Funds has an important task – to encourage portfolio companies to enhance their performance on environmental and social issues. The AP Funds are long-term, responsible and committed investors. The Ethical Council’s dialogues with companies make a difference. During 2015, the Ethical Council conducted dialogues with 178 companies around the world concerning a total of 254 incidents, pertaining mainly to business ethics, human rights, labour rights, corruption and the environment.
The G20 has set up a new working group for green financing in order to lift the financial system’s importance in a sustainable development. As Sweden’s policies and market development in green financing is considered very interesting and relevant, a Swedish delegation was invited to participate on the G20 working meeting and policy session in London at the end of March.
AP4’s CEO Mats Andersson is to receive the Lifetime Achivement Award at Chief Investment Officers European Innovation Awards on June 2th.
AP4 is represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equities.
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
The Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute (IRRCi) has just presented the winners of the IRRC Institute Research Award for the fourth consecutive year. The competition seeks innovative research that examines the interaction between the real economy and investment theory.
In the IRRI Survey, published in the beginning of 2016, AP4 is ranked number seven when the question “Which asset owner contributes most to the wider SRI debate”? is asked. Out of the top ten ranked pension funds, AP4 is the only Swedish.
"Sustainability is a way to reduce risk and ultimately increase returns for the portfolio manager with a long-term mandate. There’s an old misconception that there would be a conflict between return and sustainability. On the contrary! I would like to say: No company, or organization can have long-term success if sustainability is not high on their agenda." With that words, Mats Andersson starts his letter from the CEO in AP4's Sustainability and Corporate Governance Report 2014/2015 that was published on December 22. Read the whole letter below:
Today AP4's CEO, Mats Andersson, has participated in a seminar organised by OECD and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The other speakers at the seminar were Yngve Slyngstad (Bank of Norway), Thina Saltvedt (Nordea Markets) and Kristina Persson (Swedish minister for Strategy, Future Issues and Nordic Cooperation. Simon Upton (OECD) moderated the seminar.
This monday, on December 7th, the organisation Caring for Climate arranged a sideevent to COP21 entitled Accelerating Climate Action. AP4's CEO Mats Andersson participated at the event and gave a speech about the importance of the financial sector beeing involved in the climate issue by looking over their investments. The other members of the panel was H.E. Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal (Minister of the Environment, Republic of Peru), Mr José Manuel Entrecanales Domecq (Chairman, Acciona) and Ms. Winnie Byanyima (Executive Director, Oxfam International).
Yesterday (7/12) the Portfolio Decarbonization Coalition (PDC) announced that two additional global investors, Allianz and ABP, joins the coalition. The pressconference, that took place at COP21, was attended by UNEP FI, Mats Andersson (CEO AP4) and Oliver Bäte (CEO Allianz).
AP4's CEO Mats Andersson is currently on site at COP21 in Paris. During this Saturday he performed a speech at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's (UNFCCC) event Journée de l'Action - COP21. Among the speakers during the day was Al Gore, Francois Hollande, Johan Rockström, Phillipe Couillard and Ban Ki-Moon.
AP4 is represented by Thomas Ehlin, Corporate Governance.
AP4 is represented by Thomas Ehlin, Corporate Governance.
AP4 is represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equities.
AP4 is represented by Thomas Wuolikainen, Senior Portfolio Manager Swedish Equities.
The Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund (AP4) has recently joined the global initiative G20 Energy Efficiency Investor Statement. The initiative comes from the UNEP FI, PRI and Ceres. Apart from AP4, the initiative has been signed by other Swedish investors like the Church of Sweden, AP1, AP2, AP3, Alecta and SPP.
AP4 is represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equities.
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
AP4 is represented by Olof Nyström, Senior Portfolio Manager Real Estate.
AP4 is represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equities.
AP4 is represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equities.
AP4 is represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equities.
AP4 is represented by Olof Nyström, Senior Portfolio Manager Real Estate.
AP4 is represented by Arne Lööw, Head of Corporate Governance.
AP4 is represented by Arne Lööw, Head of Corporate Governance.
AP4 is represented by Arne Lööw, Head of Corporate Governance.
AP4 is represented by Arne Lööw, Head of Corporate Governance.
AP4 is represented by Pia Axelsson, Manager Corporate Governance.
Today the chairmans and CEO:s of the Swedish National Pension Funds is published in the Swedish newspaper DN Debatt regarding the proposed 'New Rules for the AP Funds'.
AP4 is represented by Pia Axelsson, Manager Corporate Governance.
AP4 is represented by Thomas Ehlin, Corporate Governance.
AP4 is represented by Thomas Ehlin, Corporate Governance.
Analysis shows the new green claims of the biggest oil and gas companies are undermined by their support for trade associations that actively obstruct climate policy.
A coalition of 19 investors with over £625 billion in assets under management has written to 11 major automobile companies to call for improved reporting of their public policy interventions on emissions standards.
Investors and companies have sent letters to stock exchanges asking them to issue companies in their market with voluntary reporting guidance that includes environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.
One of the major factor that warrants inclusion on the list is the contribution to important trends in the asset owner industry.
AP4 is represented by Arne Lööw, Head of Corporate Governance
AP4 is represented by Mats Andersson, CEO.
AP4 is represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equities.
AP4 is represented by Per Colleen, Head of Equities.
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
A global coalition of 25 institutional investors is calling on nine major publicly listed companies to review their membership of lobbying groups that seek to undermine EU climate policy.
On August 13th this year's Earth Overshoot Day occurred. Earth Overshoot Day is the day when humanity has used up all the resources that the earth produces in one year. From now on, until the end of the year, we will have to live on borrowed resources.
When Financial News presents their annually FN100 Most Influental list, AP4's CEO Mats Andersson is listed on a fifth place in the category "Pensions and Investments".
AP4 is represented by Jannis Kitsakis, Portfolio Manager.
"I think it's essential that if you want to be serious about fighting climate change, there is no way without putting a price on carbon".
AP4 one of eight funds that were nominated in the category Best RI Report - Large funds
In conjunction with ExxonMobil and Chevrons annual general meeting some public and faith-based investors - including AP4, AP2, AP3 and AP7 among others – urged the oil and gas giants to live up to their stated visions as energy companies of the future by driving the transition to a low-carbon economy.
120 investor CEOs from around the world have written an open letter to finance ministers urging them to support the inclusion of a long-term emissions reduction goal in the international climate agreement due to be sealed in Paris in December.
During this week’s Business and Climate Summit in Paris, the president of France Francois Hollande emphasized in a speech how important it is that the financial sector decarbonize its investment portfolios.
An unprecedented mobilization of 25 worldwide business networks, that participated at the Business & Climate Summit held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on May 20-21, has called upon national and international policymakers to reach a global climate deal at this year’s United Nations’ COP21 Summit in Paris.
Yesterday, May 20, Statoil held their annual general meeting, and as earlier reported, AP4, together with the Second AP-fund, submitted a shareholder proposal.
AP4 has, together with AP2, submitted a shareholder proposal for Statoil's AGM. The Board of Statoil recommends that shareholders to support the proposal.
AP4 has received AAA-rating, as one of nine investors, for its efforts on climate risk.
AP4 is nominated to the RI Reporting Awards 2015 for its Sustainability and Corporate Goverance reporting. A total of 16 funds have been nominated (8 large and 8 small/medium).
AP4:s CEO Mats Andersson was awarded Environmental Finance Award - Personality of the year because Mats....
AP4's CIO and deputy CEO Magnus Eriksson has been awarded the Institutional Investor European Awards 2015 - Scandinavian Public Pension Manager of the Year.
AP4 together with Svenska Kyrkan (Church of Sweden) and SPP has been awarded the price CFA ESG Award 2014.
The Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund (AP4) works to promote good corporate governance in the financial markets and is of the opinion that the proposal of a Japanese corporate governance code (“The Japan’s Stewardship Code”) is an important step to promote the Japanese stock market and Japanese corporate governance.
aiCIO (Asset International Chief Investment Officer) citation reads:
In light of a series of recent calamities in Bangladesh apparel manufacturing plants resulting in an overwhelming loss of life, we, the undersigned investors and stakeholders including 118 organizations representing over 1 trillion in assets under management, are calling on industry leaders to implement systemic reforms that will ensure worker safety and welfare, and to adopt zero tolerance policies on global supply chain abuses.
The RI Reporting Awards will showcase excellence in responsible investment and ESG reporting, encouraging best practice and transparency by recognising the highest standards in the disclosure of responsible investment activities by asset owners globally.
AP4 receives Financial News Awards for Excellence in Institutional Hedge Fund Management Europe 2013 - Most Pioneering European Institutional Investor in Hegde Funds.
aiCIO (Asset International Chief Investment Officer) citation reads:
The ”Human Rights Impact Assessment”, HRIA, regarding Goldcorp’s Marlin mine in Guatemala is now released.
The Ethical council has received NRPN´s award for Best SRI-strategy 2009. NRPN stands for Nordic Region Pension and Investment News, and is a publication within the Financial Times Group.