Imfino News

29 May 2018 - Danish consumers are used to looking for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel when shopping for laundry detergent, paint or furniture. The widely trusted label is now introduced onto Danish investment options. Triodos Investment Management’s SRI funds are the first four investment funds to receive the Nordic Swan Ecolabel in Denmark.

Reduce overall environmental impact

The Nordic Swan Ecolabel evaluates investment options based on several different factors, such as environmental footprint, social responsibility and proper guidance in the companies and countries that are the subject of an investment by a labelled investment fund.

                           Nordic Swan Ecolabel

“The aim of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel is to reduce the overall environmental impact from production and consumption – and last year it became possible to label investment funds as there is an enormous environmental potential in motivating banks, pension funds and investment funds to do sustainable investments. Investment funds labelled by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel must meet 25 mandatory requirements that govern the various ways a fund can impact companies. This will include, among other things, inclusion or exclusion of companies as well as transparency about the fund’s investments. And we are pleased that the Danes now for the first time can look for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel when investing their money, “says Karen Dahl Jensen, Product Development Manager at Nordic Ecolabelling, which is responsible for the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.

Increased awareness

Triodos Investment Management actively contributes to accelerating the transition towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy, while at the same time realising competitive investment returns. Triodos Investment Management therefore hopes that the Nordic Swan Ecolabel will increase awareness among Danish investors that it is possible to make a positive impact on society, while at the same time earning a solid return.

Erik Breen Director of SRI at Triodos Investment Management: “In order to address the challenges our world faces today, such as climate change and the continuing growth in social equality, we need a shift in thinking and acting by investors. Fortunately, this is recognised by an increasing number of people looking to realise positive change though their investments. We are very pleased that our efforts to facilitate these investors through our SRI funds are acknowledged with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Together we can make sustainable investing more easily accessible for Danish investors.”

Rising demand from consumers

All four investment options can be bought in Denmark through the country’s largest values-based bank, Merkur Cooperative Bank.

”A growing number of Danish consumers are starting to question what sort of companies their pension funds and savings are placed in. And many are finding it hard to align their personal values with the standard investment options because they have no positive impact or in the worst cases have a negative impact on society and the environment. And that is why we welcome the Nordic Swan Ecolabel into the financial world, so that people can more easily invest their funds in accordance to their beliefs,” says Lars Pehrson, CEO of Merkur Cooperative Bank.

Last year several investment funds in Sweden were awarded the Nordic Swan Ecolabel for the first time in the Nordics and today nearly 30 billion Swedish kroner is under management in a Swan-labelled investment fund.

Triodos Investment Management will be awarded the Nordic Swan Ecolabel for the Triodos SRI funds later today during a celebratory event in Denmark.