a.s.r. joins initiative to fight against deforestation
a.s.r. has joined an initiative with 8 other investors to combat deforestation. They are talking to companies they have invested in to end deforestation in their supply chains, occuring according to satellite imagery.
A coalition of 9 financial institutions ACTIAM, Achmea Investment Management, Aegon Nederland, a.s.r. asset management, Aviva Investors, Fidelity International, Nomura Asset Management, Robeco and Zwitserleven, are calling on companies to stop deforestation in their supply chain and be more transparent about traceability of their raw materials.
This call is part of an engagement program, initiated and coordinated by ACTIAM. In the face of climate change and biodiversity loss, the coalition is counteracting deforestation within their investments and reducing the financial risks associated with deforestation. The investor initiative focuses on companies that provide insufficient information about their suppliers and on companies that have been associated with deforestation in the palm oil sector in Malaysia. These cases have been mapped using satellite images and artificial intelligence provided by Satelligence.
Deforestation causes depletion of natural resources, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The satellite imagery and data analysis allow investors to measure progress in tackling deforestation in the controlled regions. The companies this concerns can in turn show which steps they are taking to make their chains more sustainable and free from deforestation.
Marjolein Meulensteen, Portfoliomanager Responsible Investing at a.s.r.: 'a.s.r. has signed the Paris agreement to combat global warming. In addition, we have committed ourselves to charting the impact of our investments on biodiversity and reducing the negative impact in the coming years. This engagement initiative contributes to both objectives. We are excited to collaborate on this with Utrecht start-up Satelligence, who can provide current information about deforestation and associated risks.'
Please find the official press release: Investors representing over €1.8 trillion in assets urge companies to advance no-deforestation efforts.
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