EVLI BANK PLC PRESS RELEASE JANUARY 27, 2020 AT 10.00 AM. (EET/EEST)
Evli seeks to invest even more in responsibility, which is why Evli has decided to make responsibility one of its strategic focus areas for the coming years. Although responsibility has been an integral part of Evli’s portfolio management for many years, this decision aims to further emphasize its importance. The aim is to improve ESG reporting for Evli’s funds and clients’ investments, deepen ESG integration into portfolio management, launch new responsibility funds and set climate targets. Goals and development will be actively monitored in the newly established Responsible Investment Executive Group. In addition to the CEO, the Responsible Investment Executive Group includes executives from the legal and risk management department, institutional and private clients’ departments, portfolio management and responsible investment team.
“Responsibility has become an increasingly important factor for our customers, and we want to highlight the importance of its further development by making it a strategic focus area. In addition, climate change mitigation has always been important to us. We want to create products that will address the challenges of climate change and set concrete goals for our operations”, says Maunu Lehtimäki, CEO of Evli Bank.
As part of the development of responsibility, Evli will exclude tobacco manufacturers from all its funds with a five percent revenue limit. Previously, controversial weapons manufacturers are excluded from fund investments. Evli's climate change principles will also be tightened, with oil sand extraction being added to the excluded sectors with a 30 percent revenue limit. In line with climate change principles, thermal coal companies with a revenue limit of 30 percent and companies producing peat for energy production are already excluded from Evli's funds.
In addition, Evli has created a fund group, which is subject to broader exclusion. These funds exclude manufacturers of alcohol, weapons, fossil fuels and coal, and companies producing adult entertainment and gambling, in addition to the general exclusion policies.
More about Evli's Responsible Investing
For more information, please contact:
Outi Helenius, Head of Sustainability, Evli Bank Plc, tel. +358 40 720 6859, outi.helenius@evli.com
Evli Bank Plc
Evli is a bank specialized in investments that helps institutions, corporations and private persons increase their wealth. The product and service offering includes mutual funds, asset management and capital markets services, alternative investment products, equity research, administration of incentive programs and Corporate Finance services. The company also offers banking services that support clients' investment operations. Evli is the highest ranked and most used institutional asset manager in Finland*.
Evli has a total of EUR 14.3 billion in client assets under management (net 12/2019). The Evli Group’s equity capital totals EUR 81.7 million and its BIS capital adequacy ratio is 15.1 percent (December 31, 2019). The company has around 250 employees. Evli Bank Plc’s B shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd.
*KANTAR SIFO Prospera External Asset Management Finland 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and SFR Scandinavian Financial Research Institutional Investment Services, Finland 2015, 2016 ,2017, 2018.
Distribution: main media, www.evli.com