Boards must ensure that companies regularly report relevant, quantitative and comparable information on environmental, social and governance issues. Investors require information of financial importance that is comparable between companies and over time.
Today, we have published our sixth report on responsible investment. This year, we assessed 2,296 companies’ reporting on the basis of our seven expectation documents. It can be challenging to assess and compare companies since there is no single standard covering all relevant information. We have published an asset manager perspective and a position paper, in which we clarify the data and indicators that are relevant for us as an investor.
”In recent years, we have requested companies to go from words to numbers in their sustainability reporting. We wish to see more relevant and comparable reporting from companies, so that we, as an investor, can analyse the companies’ exposure to sustainability risks”, says CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management Yngve Slyngstad.
Our assessments enable us to contribute to standards development, and to prioritise topics for company dialogue. We have initiated a number of thematic dialogues concerning our expectations in 2019. Our expectation document on anti-corruption now includes money laundering, and we have followed up on this issue through company dialogue.
“Money-laundering is one of the issues we have focused on in 2019. Companies exposed to this issue should have internal policies and procedures to prevent money laundering. We have initiated dialogue with 14 banks that – because of their products and services – could be exposed to the risk of abuse for money laundering purposes”, says Chief Corporate Governance Officer Carine Smith Ihenacho.
The purpose of the dialogue is to understand how banks assess the risk of money laundering and any steps they have taken to mitigate against it.
Press contacts:
Marthe Skaar
Head of Communications and External Relations (acting)
Tel.: +47 926 17 663
Line Aaltvedt
Manager, Communications and External Relations
Tel.: +47 948 54 656
E-mail: press@nbim.no