Frameworks for sustainable investments
PFA and the EU’s frameworks for sustainable investments
As part of its work with sustainable economics, the EU has specified frameworks for how to classify, document, advise and communicate about sustainability in relation to one’s financial products, including pension products. These frameworks are described in more detail in the EU’s Disclosure Regulation. The rules stem from the EU’s green deal.
Read moreRead lessHere, ‘sustainability’ must be understood in alignment with the EU rules about when an investment can be called sustainable and, in addition to climate and environmental factors, it also includes considerations for a balanced social and economic societal development as well as good corporate governance. Initially, the EU’s green deal has also resulted in an environmental taxonomy that specifies common standards for when an economic activity can be considered environmentally sustainable..
The EU’s green deal is intended to convert the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy by ensuring:
• that there are no longer net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 at the latest
• that economic growth decouples from resource consumption
• that no individuals and no areas are left behind
The EU’ frameworks also allow for the use of various degrees of sustainability, ranging from non-sustainable to partially sustainable to fully sustainable financial products. For partially sustainable financial products, they will as a general rule promote environmental or social characteristics in various ways while fully sustainable products have a sustainable investment objective.
PFA is currently unable to classify any investments as sustainable. We continuously assess the extent to which the investments' activities are in line with an environmental objective in economic activities that qualify as environmentally sustainable according to the EU classification system. However, we do not classify these investments as sustainable, as these investments do not meet all the conditions that apply for sustainable investments. This means that although the products under PFA Plus and PFA Klima Plus are classified as partially sustainable financial products pursuant to Article 8 of the EU Disclosure Regulation, as they promote environmental or social characteristics, they do not contain minimum shares of sustainable investments.