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Sustainability

Our approach to sustainability

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At Handelsbanken we understand the impact we have on society, the environment and the financial market. Taking responsibility and taking a long term view are core values that have guided our work over many decades.

Strong and lasting business relationships, low risk-taking and cost-awareness are all cornerstones of our culture. This kind of sustainable thinking has been integrated in how we do business for so long that it has become natural to us. Our financial strength and duty to be a responsible tax payer helps us avoid becoming a burden on society when times get tough. Instead, we positively contribute to society by being financially stable. We always want to be close to the communities we operate in, and the customers.

We have a significant responsibility and we take that responsibility.

How we worked with sustainability in 2023

Our sustainability report

The Sustainability Report describes how we at Handelsbanken worked with sustainability issues in 2023. It is included as part of the Annual and Sustainability Report, but is also presented separately on the page Sustainability Report 2023.

Facts about how we work with sustainability

Our Sustainability Report 2023 contains detailed information on performance and the GRI Index. There you will find information about our sustainability goals, how we work to achieve the goals and how well we achieved our goals during the past year. You will also find sustainability data from the last five years and information about our sustainability rating.

In the Sustainability information section, we present key figures that relate to our sustainability and focus areas: financing, investments, advisory services and our responsibility as a company and bank.

Annual and sustainability report 2023 (pdf 4.4 MB) Opens in a new window

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Financing

How and what we finance as a bank can have a large impact on the society. We have clear policies for our business relations regarding areas such as human rights, working conditions, as well as in an environmental and climate-related context.

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Investments

As a bank, we have a great responsibility when it comes to how we take care of our customers' savings. Our goal is to generate long-term returns for our customers, and at the same time contribute to a more sustainable future. This requires that we invest in a sustainable and responsible manner. That is why environmental, social and governance factors are key in our investment process.

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Advisory services

Our success depends a lot on the trust of our customers and society. We have earned that by acting responsibly when we provide advice on mortgages, financing and investments, among other things. Being a relationship bank, built on satisfied customers and long-term relationships, we offer responsible advisory services as an important part of our sustainability work.

Responsible business

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Handelsbanken must act responsibly in everything it does. From being a responsible taxpayer, countering financial crime and upholding human rights, to being a financially stable bank and safeguarding customers' personal data and their financial health.

Our sustainability work also include how we act as an employer. Gender equality, diversity and an inclusive corporate culture are part of our core values and shall be a natural part of the daily operations. Our employees various backgrounds and experiences enable us all to contribute to the operations with different perspectives.

Environment and climate

Our greatest impact is indirect, when we finance and invest. Our ambition is to align our business operations to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, but no later than 2040. An important part of this is setting interim goals, to set the pace needed for us to reach our long-term goals and create momentum. We have developed sector-specific climate targets in line with science and the 1.5-degree target, for our property-related lending and power generation, and for other lending to large corporates, we will encourage companies to set science-based climate targets themselves.

Please read more about indirect and direct impact and what we do to reduce our climate impact.

Wind turbines on the mountain - Handelsbanken.se

Objective and measurable goals

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Our sustainability goals are related to our core businesses: financing, investment and advisory services, and are based on the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The goals include taking on climate challenges and reaching net zero emissions, but also to contribute to reducing the wealth gap between men and women through advisory services and training initiatives.

The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by the UN General Assembly in September 2015. They consists of 17 goals, which aim at achieving sustainable social, environmental and financial development. We have chosen to focus on six of these goals, all of which are related to our core business.

Contact us

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Contact us by e-mail if you have any questions regarding Handelsbanken's sustainability work.

Catharina Belfrage Sahlstrand   
Chief Sustainability and Climate Officer

Group e-mail: sustainability@handelsbanken.se