The product criteria for Nordic Swan Ecolabelled funds have been released after two years of extensive work. The first Nordic Ecolabelled Funds are expected in October 2017.
Funds that carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel offer a sustainability-labelled choice to private and institutional investors. This means that the fund must fulfil certain exclusion and inclusion criteria, as well as operate in a transparent manner in order to influence companies in a more sustainable direction.
– Our view is that the requirements on analysis, reporting and review will lead to an increased focus on sustainability, among fund managers and the investee companies alike. Our strategy is that funds may also invest into other than "best-in-class" companies in terms of sustainability. Companies that are on the right track should also be available for investment, says Per Sandell, Head of Investment Funds at Nordic Ecolabelling.
Nordic Ecolabelling wishes to go further than the traditional ethical funds and steer towards investment funds that are transparent and act as active owners with the aim to influence companies. Therefore the funds may include companies that might not be considered the most sustainable ones today but play an important part in the transition to a more sustainable future.
– We think that investors are ready to select fund that influence companies in a more sustainable direction. We exclude companies and industries that are furthest away from being sustainable. That said we wish to include companies that are in a process of transition to more sustainable production patterns, Per Sandell comments further.
There is extensive demand among consumers and investors for an independent evaluation of funds with a sustainable profile. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel, the official ecolabel of the Nordic countries, aims to answer that demand. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel in Sweden is administered by Ecolabelling Sweden, which operates on consignment from the Swedish government without industry affiliation.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official ecolabel of the Nordics countries. It is recognized by 9 out of 10 Nordic consumers. The criteria of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel are evaluated and confirmed by an independent party, The Nordic Ecolabeling Board. In the licencing process the fund manager hands in the required documentation, which is later reviewed and audited on-site by Nordic Ecolabelling as a third party. Click here to read more about how Type I ecolabels conduct evaluation and licensing.
For comments, please contact:
Per Sandell, 0046(0)70 866 17 63
Anna Norberg,press, 0046(0)76 262 54 90