The purpose of the Danske Bank Group’s socially responsible investment (SRI) policy is to ensure that customer funds are not invested in companies that violate internationally recognised standards. The SRI policy applies to products where the Group manages the investment of customer funds.
Appropriate behaviour is a precondition for long-term value creation in companies. Consequently, the SRI policy supports the Group’s objective of managing investments to generate the best possible return for customers.
Scope of the SRI policy
The SRI policy applies to
- Danske Invest and Danske Invest Select (mutual funds)
- Danske Bank’s pooled pension funds
- Danica Pension’s pension products ("Balance" and "Traditionel")
- The Group’s international investment funds
- The Group’s own strategic portfolio of securities
The SRI policy means that we do not invest customer funds in securities issued by companies that violate standards and guidelines for human rights, weapons, employee rights, the environment and anti-corruption.
Screening of investments
Ethix SRI Advisors, an external advisory firm specialising in SRI, screens the investment portfolios on a regular basis. The screening includes companies in the MSCI World and MSCI Emerging Markets indices and the largest companies listed on the Nordic stock exchanges.
The screening process is based on the internationally recognised standards of the
UN Human Rights Norms for Business (2003), the ten principles of the
UN Global Compact (1999) and the
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (1976). The process also takes into account a number of international conventions reflecting the development in the SRI field since 2003.If a company violates the standards, we enter into a dialogue with the company to clarify whether it intends to change its behaviour. Depending on the outcome of this dialogue, we decide whether to sell or retain the investment.
Products not subject to the SRI policy
The SRI policy does not apply when a customer decides to invest in
- mutual funds other than Danske Invest, Danske Invest Select or the Group’s international investment funds
- funds-of-funds, structured products, individual securities or derivatives
- institutional mandates, institutional funds or managed accounts
The reason is that we want to maintain a competitive and open investment universe that offers customers a multitude of investment options. We provide SRI screening services to institutional clients.
This is a translation of an original document in the Danish language. In case of discrepancies, the Danish text prevails.
Last updated on 6 October 2011