Responsible financing

Lending and financing with the future in mind.
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Our credit responsibility

A sustainability perspective

By including a sustainability perspective in our lending assessment, the bank factors in the impact from and on areas such as the environment and climate, human rights, and basic principles regarding working conditions, corruption and bribery. The starting point is that we do not give credit if the sustainability risks are assessed to be too large. We also support global initiatives and guidelines to encourage and influence corporate customers' sustainability work.

Being responsible in our lending also involves working to ensure that our customers' financial situation is sustainable. With our approach to lending, we want to protect our customers from getting into financial difficulties due to excessive indebtedness.

Products and services for sustainability

We want to support our customers to move in a more sustainable direction. Therefore, we are constantly developing our financing products to be able to contribute to such development. One example is our green loans where private individuals and companies can finance various measures for reduced energy use, such as the installation of solar cells, and thereby reduce their climate impact.

Sustainability goals

By 2025, 20 per cent of the Bank's financing volume shall consist of green financing, social financing or financing that contributes to the borrower's measurable, sustainable transition.

Policy documents

Handelsbanken's board issues policies and instructions within, among other things, the area of ​​sustainability, as part of its governance of the Bank. The Group CEO issues guidelines and more detailed directions, which in turn supplement and clarify these policies.

Policy documents and guidelines

Sector framework – Fossil energy

In this sector framework, we present the assessment of Fossil energy that is used for lending, as well as the Bank's definition of a conversion company when lending and financing.

Sustainable finance

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Green loans

With green loans we finance sustainable projects in order to minimise negative impact on the environment. Each project is continuously monitored to ensure that the environment and climate are taken into consideration.
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Green bonds 

We are very active as an advisor to new and existing issuers, companies and institutions that intend to issue green bonds. We offer assistance in establishing terms and conditions, and also when issuing green bonds.

Handelsbanken's green bonds

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In 2018, 2020 and 2022 Handelsbanken issued green bonds. We have also issued two green covered bonds during 2023. By issuing green bonds, Handelsbanken can support the long-term development of sustainable solutions through the financing of green projects.