Why sustainability matters to us

Our vision and broad perspective on what constitutes value creation have been a cornerstone of the Group and have laid the foundation for our work on sustainability. Our focus on sustainability has dual motivation: risk-adjusted return and positive impact.

As a long-term investor, we view sustainability as a key value driver and a necessity for future-proofing many companies. Our portfolio showcases diverse examples of sustainability as a value driver – from mnemonic delivering cybersecurity services essential to safeguarding critical infrastructure, to Simployer empowering organisations to make informed HR decisions through data-driven insights, and Elopak producing fibre-based packaging as an alternative to plastics. We believe that companies that work systematically with sustainability are better positioned to meet future requirements and expectations – and to create greater financial value with reduced risk over time.

We take an active approach to managing our investment’s positive and negative footprints on people and the planet, and over time seek to align them with the global goals and roadmaps for achieving sustainable development. We also explore, develop, and finance new ideas and initiatives that can contribute to a more sustainable society – exemplified by Abler Nordic’s work to increase financial inclusion, Ferd Impact Investing’s early-stage investments in climate solutions, and the Oslo Initiative’s place-based efforts to reduce inequality and expand opportunity in Norway’s capital.

Our sustainability work is guided by a set of core expectations and guiding principles set by our Board and management. These apply across our diverse portfolio, while allowing implementation to differ across our business areas and portfolio companies. While we cannot control outcomes at the asset level, we can set a clear direction and tone from the top and, where we have influence as an owner, seek to drive alignment with these expectations.

For our business areas, we have minimum requirements and guardrails to ensure responsible investing and ownership. These are accompanied by differentiated ambitions for sustainability impacts. We expect sustainability considerations to be integrated throughout the investment cycle in all our investments, covering impact, risk, and opportunity. Business area leaders are expected to incorporate the Group’s expectations into the business area’s strategy and operations.

Across our business, a key guiding principle is focusing on what matters, which in practice means targeting sustainability efforts on the issues most relevant to long-term value creation, risk management, and impact in each investment. Long-termism and common sense are other key guiding principles. We see sustainability as a long-term journey of transformation. It calls for both urgency and patience – and finding the right balance between financial and impact objectives.

We believe in measuring what matters– using measurement as a tool for improving sustainability performance. You can read more about our sustainability results in our annual Sustainability Report.

Read more about how we approach sustainability here
Read our expectations for investment professionals and investees here