Responsible Investment is gaining momentum in Finland as investors are finally set to start embracing a more sustainable approach to their investments. The development of SRI in Finland has not had the same success as in other Nordic countries. The external pressure from NGOs, regulators, media and investors has been limited. Progress has also been delayed because of a lack of knowledge and understanding of Responsible Investment among investors. However, the Finnish Sustainable Investment Forum, Finsif, was founded and officially launched with the support of 18 members in 2010.
The Finsif association aims to collect and distribute information on Responsible Investment activities, as well as promote Responsible Investment practices that will factor in environmental, social and governance issues in the investment management and decision-making process. All of the founding members of Finsif have signed the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
The SRI market in Finland is dominated by Core SRI. The majority of these assets are subject to ethical exclusion where norms-based screening is the most common strategy.
Some facts about the Finnish market (as of 31/12/2009):
- SRI Market size: €64.4 billion for Core, €25 billion for Broad
- Influential actors: institutional investors
- Leading Strategies: Norms- and values-based screening, Best-in-Class, engagement
- SIF (yes/no): yes, Finsif
For more information on SRI in Finland, please visit www.finsif.fi
Download the Finnish section of Eurosif's European SRI Study 2010.
