ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. (“a.s.r. asset management”) manages the investments of a.s.r., such as for the products of a.s.r. leven en pensioenen, but also the premiums for other insurance policies. All investments are screened on social and environmental aspects and governance criteria, based on the a.s.r. Policy on Responsible Investments. Countries and companies that do not comply are excluded. Indeed, we make extra investments in countries and companies that contribute to a sustainable society. These include countries and companies committed to the energy transition and to combating the risks of climate change. Health care and education are also important themes for us.
It is difficult for an investor to check wether investments in weapons are exclusively for positive purposes, such as protecting freedom and democracy. That is why we do not want investments in weapons in our investment portfolio. It is important to know that we have investments in the form of bonds with, for example, the Dutch government, which, in line with the mandate and obligations it has as a NATO member, in turn invests in weapons for defense. Finally, the term “weapon” can be interpreted in different ways. To avoid any potential confusion over the interpretation of the word 'weapon', we provide full transparency about the specific companies in which we do not invest. We thereby clarify our exclusion criteria for the arms industry.
In addition to our SRI policy, we now do this for our investments through a.s.r. vermogensbeheer by means of a Principal adverse impacts statement (PAI). In this document we describe the main adverse effects of our investment policy on sustainability. We also produce quarterly reports in which we describe the actions we take in the field of sustainability.
More information about the Sustainable Finance Action Plan