What is ESG?

ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. This is often called sustainability. In a business context, sustainability is about the company’s business model, i.e. how its products and services contribute to sustainable development. 

It is also about a company’s risk management, i.e. how it manages its own operations to minimise negative impact. Below is an explanation of what ESG stands for.

Environmental

Global production and consumption have a major impact on our environment. When producing and consuming everything from cars to food, we contribute to climate change, resource depletion, waste, pollution, deforestation and bio-diversity to name a few examples. 

Social

Companies have a responsibility for their employees as well as their impact on the societies in which they operate – for instance in terms of working conditions, labour rights and diversity.

Governance

Governance can serve as a control mechanism in relation to bribery and corruption, tax, executive remuneration, shareholders’ voting possibilities and internal control. We believe active corporate governance is important for the development of companies and provides long-term benefits for shareholders, employees and society. 

One way of ensuring this is to focus on increasing transparency and openness in contacts between the company and shareholders on issues such as board composition and shareholder rights. To see how we have voted at various Annual General Meetings, please visit our voting portal.