Global Responsibility

1. We do not want local value creation to take place at the expense of people and the environment in other parts of the world.
2. Global environmental and climate change affects important natural resources in Western Norway

Sparebanken Vest has endorsed the UN Global Compact, and we make active endeavours to ensure that our operations are compatible with global sustainability.

Through our endorsement of the initiative, we have committed to basing our strategy and operating processes on the following 10 principles concerning human rights, the working environment, the natural environment and corruption:

Human rights

Principle 1: We shall support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights, and

Principle 2: ensure that we are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labour standards

Principle 3: We shall uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining,

Principle 4: uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour,

Principle 5: uphold the effective abolition of child labour, and

Principle 6: uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

The environment

Principle 7: We shall support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges,

Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility, and

Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

Combating corruption

Principle 10: We shall work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

The bank’s compliance with and follow-up of these principles are reported to the UN Global Compact on a running basis, and can be followed here.

We shall also support the following global initiatives in all our activities:

• The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
• The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
• The UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEPFI)
• The ILO Declaration of Fundamental Principles of Rights at Work
• The UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
• UN Convention on Biological Diversity
• The Cartagena Protocol

Investments

As an investor and distributor of securities funds to our customers, we have an opportunity to influence which companies receive financing and how the ownership is exercised. We do this ourselves in the role of investor by selecting which securities we invest in. Through our venture portfolio, we invest in start-up companies in Western Norway, with the aim of supporting future value creation in our region. We make clear requirements of suppliers in relation to our role as distributor of securities funds to our customers.

We take responsibility for selecting funds and fund managers who have good principles and have the procedures in place to ensure socially responsible investments.

We ensure that all our investments serve to promote long-term value creation and contribute to a sustainable global financial system based on the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). We endeavour to ensure that our investments and procedures for assessing and following up our investments are in accordance with the initiative’s ten principles for responsible investments.

Fund selection

Sparebanken Vest offers investment advice and a number of securities funds to customers. The funds we offer are managed by external fund managers who are subject to stringent legislation that is intended to protect customers and their fund units. In addition, we also ensure that our fund suppliers have guidelines in place for socially responsible investments. Our customers must feel sure that the investments yield a good return, both financially and for society as a whole.

We recommend four fund suppliers to customers, who all have a good and conscious approach to corporate social responsibility in their investments. They have all signed or comply with the UN PRI investment principles, and have clear guidelines for the exclusion of companies. They do not invest in companies involved in weapons production, human rights or labour rights violations or breaches of environmental criteria and anti-corruption work.

UN PRI: Principles for Responsible Investment

1. We will incorporate ESG* issues in our investment analyses and decision-making processes.
2. We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues in how we exercise ownership.
3. We will endeavour to ensure that the companies we invest in report satisfactorily on ESG issues.
4. We will promote acceptance and implementation of the principles in the financial market.
5. We will cooperate in order to ensure effective implementation of the principles.
6. We will report on our activities and the progress of the work of implementing the principles.

* Environmental, social and governance

Holberg Fondsforvaltning

• Member of the Norwegian Forum for Responsible and Sustainable Investments (NORSIF)
• Companies excluded from the Government Pension Fund – Global are automatically excluded from Holberg’s investment universe.

Read more about Holberg’s guidelines here

Odin Forvaltning

• Signed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) – the UN principles for corporate social responsibility and the UN Global Compact.
• Companies excluded from the Government Pension Fund – Global are automatically excluded from Odin’s investment universe.

Read more about Odin’s guidelines here

Alfred Berg Kapitalforvaltning (part of the BNP Paribas group)

• Signed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) – the UN principles for corporate social responsibility, and its investment profile is based on the UN’s social and environmental requirements of
• companies and has adopted industry restrictions against investments in alcohol, tobacco, production of controversial weapons and pornography.
• Cooperates with one of Europe’s leading screening companies MSCI ESG

Read more about Alfred Berg’s guidelines here

Danske Capital (Danske Invest)

• Signed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) – the UN principles for corporate social responsibility.
• Does not invest in companies that operate in breach of internationally recognised guidelines for human rights, weapons production, labour rights, environmental criteria and anti-corruption.
• Danske Invest cooperates with the consultancy business ISS-Ethix, which screens its investment portfolios.

Read more about Danske Invest’s guidelines here

Government Pension Fund Global

See a list of excluded companies here

The bank’s liquidity portfolio

Sparebanken Vest has a substantial portfolio of liquid investments at all times. That is one of the requirements we are subject to as a bank. They are designated as certificates and bonds in the interim and annual accounts. These investments are exclusively made in debt securities issued by states, banks, financial institutions, Norwegian companies, Norwegian and Swedish municipalities, Norwegian county authorities and companies with state/municipal/county authority guarantees.

Sparebanken Vest’s direct investments

Sparebanken Vest is also a direct investor in a number of companies that we regard as important contributors to long-term growth in our region, including culture, environmental technology and medicine. Most of these companies are small, local start-up companies, while others are bigger companies that play a key role in the development of a sustainable financial system.

We endeavour to ensure that our investments and procedures for assessing and following up our investments are in accordance with the UNI PRI initiative’s six principles for responsible investment. Investment decisions and expectations of the companies are largely based on the same criteria as described for the credit granting process.