Handelsbanken introduces sustainability goals – net zero emissions by 2040

Working with a focus on sustainability benefits Handelsbanken’s business, and helps us to keep risk levels low. The purpose is also to create benefit for our customers, for society as a whole, and for generations to come. At the same time, we operate in a world which is facing serious challenges, so we must continue our efforts in this area. Consequently, we are now introducing several sustainability goals, which take their starting points in the UN Principles for Responsible Banking and the Paris Agreement, among others.

Handelsbanken’s goal is to achieve net zero emissions of greenhouse gases as soon as possible, and by 2040 at the latest. This includes lending, leases and investments, as well as the emissions generated by the Bank itself from energy consumption and business travel, for example.

“We are setting ambitious goals for ourselves, as we aim to further accelerate our sustainability work. The demands are increasing on all fronts when it comes to sustainability, from investors, employees, supervisory authorities, and – not the least – our customers. Our goals are ambitious so that our strategies, and the pace of our work, will improve accordingly,” says Catharina Belfrage Sahlstrand, Head of Sustainability at Handelsbanken.

In the latest figures from SKI, Swedish Quality Index, we see that almost two-thirds of Handelsbanken’s customers in Sweden have responded that their sustainability demands will increase in the future, and almost three-quarters want the financial sector to take a greater social responsibility. It is therefore natural that we have drawn up three goals closely related to our core operations: financing, investment and advisory services.

• By 2025, at least 20 per cent of the Bank’s lending is to be defined as ‘green’, or the terms and conditions of the financing are to state that the borrower will contribute to a sustainable, measurable transition in their own operations.
• Handelsbanken Fonder will work with investment portfolios aligned with the Paris Agreement, and maximise the funds’ contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. The goal is net zero emissions from our portfolios by 2040, at the latest.
• Through business development and training initiatives, Handelsbanken will create improved conditions for achieving higher returns of women’s savings by 2023. In doing so, we hope to help reduce the prevailing wealth gap between men and women.

For further information, please contact:

Catharina Belfrage Sahlstrand, Head of Sustainability: +46 8 701 10 00

For more information, see Handelsbanken Annual Report and Sustainability Report, www.handelsbanken.com/ir