Anders Strömblad, Head of External Management at AP2, has been appointed chairman of PRI’s Private Equity Advisory Committee.

The committee advises the PRI on the strategy and execution of the private equity programme.

More information at PRI’s website.

Andra AP-fonden (AP2) has together with 236 organizations publicly committed to support the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Read more here.

Andra AP-fonden (AP2) has signed the Climate Action 100+, a collaborative five-year global initiative. The initiative is linked to the Paris agreement and aims at getting companies to communicate how they intend to be in line with the Paris agreement and how they plan to reduce their carbon footprint, all in accordance with the TCFD (Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosure). To date, 225 investors with more than USD $26.3 trillion in assets under management have signed on to the Climate Action 100+ Sign-on Statement.

Read more here.

AP2 is supportive of the recommendation on climate related disclosure from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) released on June 29. AP2 is very positive towards the TCFD framework as it will increase corporate transparency and hopefully provide the information asset owners and asset managers need in order to assess both climate risks and opportunities. The framework is also an important tool for AP2 to describe and communicate its own work with regard to climate.

Link to the TCFD recommendation.

The Second AP fund has invested in a social bond issued by the Dutch bank NWB. The bond is the bank’s first social bond and is a so-called “Affordable Housing Bond”.

The purpose of the bond is to raise awareness about the Dutch housing system and to finance lending to residential buildings and to provide solutions for cheaper housing for low income citizens and groups who find it difficult to get housing. AP2 conducted its first investment in a social bond in 2014 and has, since then, invested in a number of bonds focused on social issues. The return needs to be similar to other fixed income investments with similar credit risk.

Social bonds fit well into the Second AP Fund’s global interest rate portfolio as it broadens the fund’s ESG work and provides opportunities for further diversification and is a way to combine good return on capital with allocation of investments in important and good social project.

Link to NWB’s press release.

The Second AP Fund was commended for best sustainability report at the RI Award for Innovation & Industry Leadership: Asset Owners in London June 6.

AP2 Sustainability and Corporate Governance Report 2016

Christina Olivecrona, Sustainability Analyst at AP2, has been elected to the Board at IIGCC (Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change) Annual Meeting.

Press release

AP2, together with over 200 Global investors, (managing more than $15 Trillion in assets) urge G7 and G20 to stand by Paris Agreement and drive its swift implementation and to publicly express their commitment to support climate finance to both mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

Long-term institutional investors representing more than USD 15 Trillion in assets have written to G7 heads of state urging governments to stand by their commitments to the Paris Agreement at their upcoming Summit in Taormina, Italy on May 26-27.

For the third year in a row the Second AP Fund’s Sustainability and Corporate Governance Report has been nominated in Responsible Investor Reporting Awards in the category Best RI Report by a Large Fund (AUM > €25 bn).

The winner will be nominated in London on June 6.

Link to the report.

Eva Halvarsson, AP2’s Chief Executive Officer, has been elected to the board of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) as one of two new asset owner positions. The assignment will extend over three years from January 1, 2017.

“Already in 2006, AP2 signed to the PRI’s principles for responsible investment, and since then we have worked to implement the UN-backed guidelines into our business. This is an ongoing process, where we take in to account sustainability issues both in the Fund’s role as an asset manager and asset owner. I look forward to represent AP2 in the PRI’s work and want to spread knowledge and encourage investors worldwide
to implement the principles and engage even more in sustainability issues”, says Eva Halvarsson.

PRI is a global initiative for institutional investors. PRI help to drive
development in the ESG field and contribute to an exchange of expertise on ESG issues, while improving contact between responsible investors worldwide.