Sustainability and Corporate Governance Report 202
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HANDE S NDEL BANK N F NDER – HOW WE TAKE A TI N T
O REDUCE CLIMATE IMPACT NKEN FONDER C O Our view on animal rights Animal rights is an important issue for sectors like food production, livestock farming, aquaculture, leather and fur production, and pharmaceuticals, as well as for companies whose operations use animal testing. When we invest in this type of company, animal welfare becomes an essential sustainability issue. So, within the framework of the sustainability analysis we specifically look at how the business is addressing it. In regards to animal welfare, Handelsbanken Fonder requires companies to ensure that animals are treated with care and respect. We expect companies to follow best practices, such as the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) “Good Practice Note: Improving Animal Welfare in Livestock Operations”, and to comply with animal health codes from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). We also expect companies to meet the requirements for the Five Freedoms for animals and the Principles of the three R’s – replacement, reduction and refinement. These are key principles for international efforts on animal welfare. Several of the standards and conventions we support emphasise animal welfare, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the IFC’s “Good Practice Note: Improving Animal Welfare in Livestock Operations”. The Five Freedoms of animals: Freedom from hunger and thirst. Freedom from discomfort. Freedom from pain, injury or disease. Freedom to express normal behaviour. Freedom from fear or distress. We are members of the FAIRR organisation, a collaborative initiative that raises awareness of the risks and opportunities that ESG (environmental, social and governance issues) entails in livestock production. Through FAIRR, we have taken part in company dialogues regarding reduced antibiotic use and can gain access to reports. In 2020, we initiated dialogue with several salmon producers since we are major investors in the sector. We continuously evaluate how we can improve our work on various sustainability issues, including the question of animal rights. If it can be verified that a company is in breach of international animal rights norms and conventions, that company is excluded from our investments. 32