Securing a sustainable economy for generations

As a bank, working with sustainability issues is partly about managing risks – a craft that Handelsbanken is recognised as good at – but also about taking advantage of the opportunities that exist in helping our customers by financing and investing in the society we want to have today.

Michael Green, President and CEO of Handelsbanken:

Sustainability is nothing new for Handelsbanken, it is to run a responsible and long-term business as we have done for decades. Such as not lending more to our customers than their repayment capacity can support even in tougher times, being vigilant against all forms of money laundering and corruption, as an employer safeguarding health, equality and diversity, and supporting and accelerating customers' sustainable transition.

Catharina Belfrage Sahlstrand, Chief Sustainability and climate officer at Handelsbanken:

Handelsbanken's strategy is to see sustainability issues as a natural part of the business that everyone works with, regardless of whether they are developing our digital meeting places, products or services, providing advice to our customers or assessing and managing risks.

But in the area of sustainability, there are also new perspectives for the entire banking sector. For example, we are expected to conduct active climate work, i.e. to work to reduce both our own and our customers' greenhouse gas emissions. We also need to be increasingly transparent in both customer information and in reporting on the environmental and climate risks we have in our operations in line with existing and future sustainability regulations.