About AnsvarligFremtid
Who we are
AnsvarligFremtid is a campaign group affiliated with the NGO entitled Klimabevægelsen i Danmark (350 Denmark). Since the start of the AnsvarligFremtid campaign in 2014, we have launched a number of separate AnsvarligFremtid campaigns for divestment in Denmark, where we mobilize to have investors to withdraw their investments from coal, gas and oil.
We do this in dialogue with investors, but especially by engaging with key stakeholders including ordinary citizens. It can be citizens within a specific municipality, members of pension funds or trade unions, customers of insurance companies etc. Each of the campaigns are aimed at a specific type of investor. To ensure that we stand on a solid knowledge based foundation, we continue to familiarize ourselves with relevant knowledge about the effects of divestment policies, climate science, Paris-aligned portfolio management and the technological progress in the green energy transition.
Our major successes
Municipality campaign
Since we launched the campaign in October 2015, a total of 47 municipalities have chosen to say no to investments in the fossil fuel industry, including the city of Copenhagen. As a result of our campaign and the pressure that the municipalities have put on the Danish banks since 2016, a number of Danish banks now offer fossil-free investment products, including large asset managers such as Danske Bank, Jyske Bank and Nordea. This launch of these fossil-free investment products goes hand in hand with the municipalities’ divestment, as these investment products are a prerequisite for the municipalities to be able to implement a fossil-free investment policy.
Pension Fund campaign (chronological listing).
2023: Members tabled 7 climate resolutions across 7 pension funds. Among the filed resolutions, 4 resolutions were adopted with the support of the Board of Directors. Another 1 resolution was voted through without having the support of the board. However, 2 of the climate resolutions put forward were not adopted. In addition, 1 anti-climate resolution was voted down. The resolutions put forward were as follows:
Resolution 1: Strengthen active ownership by further aligning voting with the Paris Agreement.
Through the following 3 elements:
A. Voting at the most CO2-polluting companies
B. Voting at fossil fuel companies
C. Voting at banks
The resolution was adopted at 4 pension funds. The resolutions was filed, but not adopted by AP Pension and PKA.
Resolution 2: Sustainable pensions and market checks The resolution was filed in one pension fund (PAD) and adopted by 88% of the votes cast.
Resolution 3: New investment option without exclusion list (anti-climate proposal).The resolution was filed at Pension fund P+. The resolution was defeated by over 80% of votes against.
2022: The general assembly at the pension funds Akademikerpension, Lægernes Pension and AP Pension adopted a resolution stating that the pension funds should only invest in coal, oil and gas companies that have a business strategy compatible with the Paris Agreement. Hence, if pension funds hold any investments in such companies that are not Paris-aligned, those should be considered as temporary investments, those investments must be kept under strict surveillance, and each such investment must be justified and explained in an annual report.
The general assembly at the pension funds Akademikerpension, Lægernes Pension and AP Pension adopted a resolution stating that the pension fund should develop a strategy for escalating active ownership towards banks that provide financing and banking services to fossil fuel companies that oppose the Paris Agreement and/or continue to explore new fossil fuel projects. In addition, also the pension funds P+ and PKA have committed to undertake increased active ownership targeting the banking sector.
The general assembly of the pension funds Akademikerpension, Lægernes Pension, AP Pension, Arkitekternes Pensionskasse, PJD and ISP have adopted a resolution stating that the pension funds should adopt a policy to ensure increased level of transparency around private equity investments, as well as seeking to divest private equity assets that are incompatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement. In addition, also PKA has committed to increase the level of transparency on private equity.
2021: The AGMs of Arkitekternes Pensionskasse, Pensionskassen for Jordbrugsakademikere og Dyrlæger and Ingeniørsammenslutningsens Pensionskasse (ISP) decides to join a binding international Net Zero investor network, for example NZAOA.
The AGM of Arkitekternes Pensionskasse decides to divest oil & gas companies with more than 50% of the turnover from fossil energy.
The AGM of AP Pension decides to join an international investor network, such as the Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA) or the IIGCC’s Paris Aligned Investment Initiative.
Lægernes Pension and PKA join the international investor coalition Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA).
Lægernes Pension decides to divest coal companies with more than 5% of the turnover from coal extraction.
PKA commits to divest oil and gas companies that have not presented a Paris-compatible business model by the end of 2022.
AP Pension commit to divest oil and gas companies that have not presented a Paris-compatible business model by the end of 2023.
AkademikerPension (former MP Pension) and P+ initiate divestment strategies for energy companies based on coal burning.
AkademikerPension divest from gas companies according to the same criteria as oil (25%), and sets a CO2 reduction target of -26.8% for its total investments by 2025.
2020: The annual general meeting of P+ decides to divest shares in oil companies that do not live up to the Paris agreement, as well as divesting investments in coal mining companies. Lærernes Pension (Teachers Pension Fund) decides to divest all companies with more than 5% turnover from fossil fuels if the company does not have a Paris-compatible business strategy.
2019: PKA divests its investments in Exxon Mobil, and thus becomes the 5th Danish pension fund to divest Exxon Mobil. Lægernes Pension divest from a small number of oil companies, including Exxon and Chevron, following pressure from pension members. The annual general meeting of MP Pension decides to extend the resolution from 2018 so that it also applies to bonds in oil companies. The board of MP Pension announce their decision to divest from bonds in coal and tar sands, but not oil and gas.
2018: AnsvarligFremtid wins a big victory when the annual general meeting of MP Pension decides to sell the pension funds equities in fossil fuels. Lærernes Pension announce that they will no longer invest in coal, tar sands and tobacco. This was not due to resolutions at their general meeting, but because of an opinion poll among their members showing that half of the members do not want their pension fund to invest in fossil fuels, and that only 5 percent share the pension funds previous position to keep investments in coal, oil and gas.
2016: Following pressure from and dialogue with AnsvarligFremtid, MP Pension decides to establish an investment strategy, which aims to support the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global temperature rises below 2 degrees and as close to 1.5 degrees as possible, including via increased use of active ownership targeting fossil fuel companies. MP Pension also decides to allocate DKK 5 billion to climate investments. Pensionskassen for Jordbrugsakademikere og Dyrlæger (PJD, The Pension Fund for Agricultural Academics and Veterinarians), Arkitekternes Pensionskasse (The Pension Fund for Architects, AP) and Lægernes Pension (Doctors Pension Fund) decide to implement investment strategies supporting the Paris Agreement, to increase their active ownership towards fossil fuel companies and to ensure thorough reporting of engagement results. Diplomingeniørernes Pensionskasse (The Danish Civil and Academy Engineers ‘Pension Fund, DIP) and Jurister- og Økonomernes Pensionskasse (Lawyers’ and Economists ‘Pension Fund, JØP) decide to increase their active ownership targeting fossil fuel companies, including by voting at the companies’ general meetings (via proxy voting).
2014: AnsvarligFremtid (ResponsibleFuture) is formed and files resolutions for fossil fuel divestment in three pension funds: MP Pension, the Danish Civil and Academy Engineers’ Pension Fund (DIP) and the Lawyers’ and Economists’ Pension Fund (JØP). The first year, we do not get a majority vote for our proposals, but the campaign gets a lot of attention. The campaign continues each of the following years and expands to more and more pension companies.
Contact
If you are interested to hear more about AnsvarligFremtid and our campaigns, you can contact: