Invest sustainably
As one of Germany’s largest insurance providers with an investment volume of more than 100 billion euros, we aspire to manage funds responsibly and a have variety of options for doing so. We are convinced that investing sustainably supports the classic investment criteria such as returns, security and quality.
Investing sustainably – with our own strategy
Secure capital investment is key to the insurance industry and one of our core competencies. As a cooperative insurance provider, we invest responsibly, always with an eye on people and the environment. Alongside our goals relating to the security, returns, liquidity and quality of our capital investments, we now also focus on sustainability as an additional investment criterion. The goals of the strategy are to boost the prevelance of sustainability in all its dimensions and to limit the effects of climate change.
Clear ethical criteria with R+V capital investments
Our portfolio managers choose every investment carefully. They begin by looking for investments that fit well into the portfolio on the basis of their returns and risk structure. In addition to the financial aspects examined, a sustainability assessment also plays an important role in the investment process. We also regularly review our existing portfolio’s compliance with our sustainability criteria. An investment that no longer meets our sustainability criteria comes under considerable scrutiny. Depending on the assessment of the new situation, appropriate measures are taken. These range from increased observation of the company to withdrawal from the investment.
We rule out certain investments from the outset. We do not invest in companies whose business activities are directly related to anti-personnel mines, nuclear biological and chemical weapons (“NBC weapons”) or cluster munitions. We also rule out financial products for agricultural commodities (“food speculation”). These exclusion criteria apply to all classes of investment – especially to shares, interest-bearing securities, loans and real estate – over which the R+V portfolio managers have a direct influence.
Climate target: climate neutrality in the portfolios by 2050
We have set ourselves a climate target in four capital investment. This includes the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (measured in CO2 equivalents) to net zero by 2050. In this context, we are gearing towards limiting the average global temperature increase to a maximum of 1.5°C in comparison with pre-industrial levels.
Our investment strategy is based on internationally recognised standards
Regarding the integration of sustainability criteria, we are guided by international standards.
The international PRI (Principles for Responsible Investment) investor network, which is supported by the United Nations (UN) and consists of asset managers, pension schemes and insurance providers from around 80 countries, endeavours to make the global finance system more sustainable. We support this goal and are therefore committed to paying particular attention to sustainability in our capital investments. In addition, we seek to actively champion these principles as a stakeholder.
Furthermore, we are committed to the UN Global Compact. In this global initiative, companies undertake to align their actions with social and environmental principles. These include, among other things, respect for human and worker rights, commitment to the protection of the environment and the climate, and the fight against corruption.