Stockholm (NordSIP) – Emilie Westholm is Head of Responsible Investments, a part of Asset Management at Folksam Group, which consists of Folksam and KPA Pension, amongst other entities. Westholm has been working with responsible investments at Folksam since 2007. Before that, she worked as a journalist. Westholm studied economics and journalism.
Sustainability is about taking responsibility
For Westholm, sustainable investing is about being responsible as an owner. “It’s about the responsibility for managing your customer’s money, both financially and sustainably. At Folksam Group, investing sustainably means living up to what we promised our customers. In doing so, we will also ensure that our investments contribute to a more sustainable world. We do this partly by opting out of sectors and companies, but above all, by working to influence the companies, we invest in. We also invest more and more in green bonds.”
Watch out for the fees
“The first advice I would like to give to someone who wants to start investing sustainably is to think about what matters most to you. Is there something you do not want your money to be invested in, for example? And do not forget to keep track of the fees. It adds up: lower fees will give you more money to invest responsibly in the long run.”
How CEOs get motivated
“Because it is international women’s day, I cannot help thinking about our work to promote gender equality in the companies we invest in. In recent years, several CEOs who have suddenly started engaging in gender equality also mentioned their teenage daughters and how they raised the issue: ‘Dad, how equal is your company really?’”