NBIM investor expectations: Climate change management

Water management – a new priority area
Norges Bank has decided to expand its exercise of ownership rights in relation to environmental issues to include a new priority area: responsible water management.

- The global water shortage represents a financial risk to the fund.  Water is important as a factor input and factor of production for 1100 companies in NBIM’s portfolio. The fund’s ownership interest in these companies has a total market value of NOK 265 billion (USD 43 billion). At NBIM, we believe that investors should receive sufficient information to be able to assess how risk related to water scarcity, regulations and higher water purification costs can affect a company’s profits and the likelihood of this occurring, says head of Corporate Governance Anne Kvam.

The fund has a broad spread of investments in sectors at risk from water scarcity and has identified seven high-risk sectors: the food industry, agriculture, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, mining, manufacturing and power production, and the water supply industry.

In the third quarter, NBIM will publish “NBIM Investor Expectations: Water Management”, which will contain the fund’s expectations with regard to companies’ management of water as a resource and the related risk. These expectations are directed towards companies with activities or supply chains in high-risk sectors and regions, and are based on international standards and best practices in water management.

For further information, please contact:

Anne Kvam, head of Corporate Governance
Telephone +47 971 21 798