Several of our holdings work actively within this area and have made great progress. Some are leaders in their field, notably ABB, Electrolux, Ericsson and Husqvarna which have, among other things, been highly ranked in previous CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) reports and received various environmental awards. Companies focusing on this is in a good position to cope creatively with climate regulations and they may increase their competitive position by being one of the climate leaders in their sector. We are convinced that resource efficient products with limited environmental impact will be increasingly demanded by customers in the future.

The company’s risk and opportunity profile linked to CSR related issues is mostly included in our screening process for new investments. Activities in the CSR field are under constant development. We remain convinced that well structured processes and clear CSR strategies will be important for risk management and value creation in the coming years. 

Case studies

• ABB’s FACTS (flexible AC transmission systems) was named among the top 11 technologies of the decade by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). ABB has delivered around 800 FACTS installations worldwide, more than half the world total. For the third consecutive year, ABB was rated as a world class performer by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI).
  
• Atlas Copco was ranked the world’s 10th most sustainable company in the annual Global 100 list at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and it is the highest ranked industrial company. It is striving to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2020. Atlas Copco was included in Dow Jones’ sustainability Index 2011/2012.
  
• AstraZeneca was ranked in the top 7% in the sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability World and European Indexes, with our highest assessment score to date of 85%. AstraZeneca also launched a new strengthened Global Policy on External Interactions 2011.  Everyone in AstraZeneca, wherever they are located, is required to work to the same global standards of sales and marketing practice.
  
• Ericsson will soon reach the goal of lowering its climate footprint by 40 percent during 2008-2013. The company continues to work and inform the public about how the ICT-sector can maintain and develop in the reduction of emission levels in urban areas. Ericsson Response continued to support UN organizations such as the World Food Programme and UNICEF with communication equipment for disaster and aid operations.
  
• Electrolux ranked among the top 10 percent of the 2,500 largest companies for social and environmental performance in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) and it was ranked among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2011. The company placed among the top ten Nordic reporters in the 2011 Carbon Disclosure Project ranking.
  
• Grand Hôtel continued to work with their energy efficiency project which so far has reduced energy use by 4.5% for 2011. Completed the Swedish certification process KRAV (KRAV-certifiering). Sponsors two projects for social welfare,“Min Stora Dag” and “Situation Stockholm”.
  
• Husqvarna’s Automower®, the robotic lawn mower reached all-time high in sales. Moreover, Husqvarna has developed a range of battery driven products which are due for launch during 2012. 89 percent of Husqvarna’s production facilities have implement an environmental management system according to ISO 14001.
• Mölnlycke Health Care sponsored “Operation Smile” with close to 400,000 pairs of Biogel® surgical gloves for reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities. The company also reduced its carbon footprint by improving trucks’ fill-rates significantly, with a goal to increase the fill-rates by 15 percent by the end of 2012.
  

Information updated 2012-04-18 18:11:45