Solving the challenges of climate change will require massive contributions from both public and private players. In September 2019, PensionDanmark and a group of leading international investors announced the formation of the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance – an alliance of some of the world’s largest investors stepping up to safeguard the planet. The goal of the alliance is to support and actively work towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement by accelerating the decarbonisation of the global economy. Alliance members commit to ensure that their investment portfolios are carbon neutral by 2050 and thereby contributing to limit the global temperature increase by 2100 to no more than 1.5°C. In focusing on impacting the real economy, the alliance will work to strengthen mandatory reporting methods, exercise active ownership and inspire each other to invest in the green transition. Since the launch of the alliance, an additional three Danish pension funds has joined. Currently, the Alliance consists of 26 institutional investors representing nearly EUR 4.2 trillion assets under management.
The alliance is founded by PensionDanmark along with German Allianz, Canadian Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ), French Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), Swedish Folksam Group and Swiss Re.