Sustainability and responsibility

IMAS Foundation provides patient money for the long haul, making impact without compromising on return.

We incorporate responsibility and sustainability considerations into all investment decisions. Our choices are guided by a responsibility towards people, whether they are our co-workers, business partners or individuals.

An inevitable outcome of our strategies is to support objectives for the good of society. Companies that care about sustainability and responsibility show better results and returns over time. Again and again, we see that accountability and profitability go hand in hand. This is crucial since we would never compromise on the returns.

Sustainability specifics

Our IKEA heritage has instilled in us the belief that we must hold environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria to the highest standards. This is fundamental to reaching our collective ambition of creating a better everyday life for the many people.

At the crux of these ambitions is an urgency to protect the planet. Companies and businesses that take responsibility and sustainability seriously also take climate-related risks seriously. IMAS Foundation therefore pursues strategies that follow a clear path towards a lower-carbon global economy.

We believe that climate change poses a significant risk to the economy and financial markets, but it is not yet fully reflected in pricing. Although it is urgently needed, we do recognise that the transition to a lower-carbon economy could have significant long-term impacts on companies and assets in which we invest. IMAS Foundation sees a great opportunity in companies that recognise the need for this transition and a risk to companies that do not grasp the urgency. This is reflected in our investment decisions.

We continue to reduce the carbon footprint across our portfolio. Besides investing in alternative energy solutions, we also focus on strategies that increase resource efficiency and reduce waste across all sectors.

In short, IMAS Foundation is committed to delivering high return to our beneficiaries while doing good for the world and acting on the climate crisis.

Summary of activities and approach

At IMAS Foundation, we work with full transparency and reject greenwashing. In doing so:

  • We prioritise the wellbeing of people and our planet without compromising return or liquidity.
  • We partner with fund managers who share our values.
  • We seek out sustainable businesses and companies that both have a robust performance record and follow a clear transition path towards sustainability.
  • We implement decarbonisation strategies across our portfolio.
  • By 2024 we expect our energy transition investments to reach €1 billion.
  • We aim to achieve significantly lower sustainability footprints than the benchmarks for our passive investments in e.g. index funds.
  • We focus on alternative energy, resource efficiency and waste reduction, across all sectors.

UN SDGs

IMAS Foundation takes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals seriously. We support all the goals, and the following five SDGs resonate particularly well with our explicit investment strategy and themes:

  • 6) Clean Water and Sanitation.
  • 7) Affordable and Clean Energy.
  • 9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
  • 11) Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • 13) Climate Action.

Learn more about our investment examples here.