ESG Newsletter

The Church of Sweden maintains assets at the national level as a buffer against future needs. Internal regulations of the Church Order state that asset management must take a long-term perspective. As such, the entirety of its assets under management (US$ 930 million as at December 31, 2018) are invested using sustainability criteria.

The Church of Sweden only uses external managers that have proven to incorporate sustainability into their investment process. Every year, the institutional investor hires consultants to review all of its holdings and ensure external managers comply with the Church's responsible investment policy. This document states that all portfolio companies must comply with the International Labor Organization Conventions, the OECD Guidelines for Multi-National Enterprises, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Global Compact's ten principles and the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. Furthermore, as an active owner, the Church of Sweden seeks to influence public opinion, engage with portfolio companies, their peers and policymakers through industry groups like the UN PRI, the Institutional Investor Group on Climate Change and others.

Responsible Investment Policy

Report on Sustainable Investments – 2018