BPL Pensioen, the Dutch pension fund for those in the agriculture and green sector, has established a special impact portfolio of approximately €1bn in investments, which aims to actively and specifically contribute to a liveable world over the next three to five years.

These impact investments cover approximately 4 per cent of the fund’s total invested assets, and will focus mainly on climate, biodiversity and water.

It will also opt for direct investments through providing loans to sustainable companies and buying shares in companies that demonstrably contribute to these themes, allowing BPL Pensioen to have a direct impact on the companies in which it invests.

Commenting on this, BPL Pensioen chair of the board on behalf of the employers and member of the investment advisory committee, Eric Douma, said: "Our participants count on a good pension. That is our most important task. That is why we only invest if we expect that investment to yield sufficient returns.

“Research shows that participants think it is important that we take into account the consequences that companies and investors have on the world. That fits in well with our long-standing conviction.

“We believe that we can achieve good pensions by investing sustainably, excluding major polluters and continuing to engage with the companies in which we invest.

"This provides stable returns and spreads risks. With our impact portfolio, we are giving even more direct substance to this.”

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