Norway wants to pay more attention to environmental protection and respect for human rights when investing. In future, the country's $ 1 trillion state fund will only invest in companies that operate in a strictly sustainable manner. "We are investing in developing countries and companies exploring solutions for greener economies," said manager Yngve Slyngstad, who is responsible for the fund. "We will now withdraw from companies that do not operate sustainably."
An important point in the new guidelines is the protection of the oceans, in particular the fight against the pollution of the oceans by plastic. "Sectors affected by this are from maritime sectors such as shipping, fishing and aquaculture, but also from retail, plastics and agriculture," says Slyngstad.
Norway's sovereign wealth fund is the largest of its kind in terms of assets under management. It holds stakes in more than 9,000 companies in 72 countries, as well as a bond portfolio and real estate. Norway has large oil and gas reserves, and fossil fuel production is the country's dominant economic activity. Nevertheless, the fund parted early with investments in fossil fuels.