Responsible investment is high on the agenda at Shell Pension. And not only on our agenda; our participants have also shown that they are enormously engaged. Every three years, we conduct a survey to understand how you and your (former) colleagues think about sustainability. As many as 4,000 people took part in our most recent survey in October!

Investing with positive energy. What does that mean?
We invest for the long term. Our aim in doing so is not for to earn the best return for your pension, we also demand that the companies we invest in act responsibly and are good employers. Any companies in our investment portfolio showing irresponsible business practices are called to attention. We do this through open dialogue and by voting at their shareholders' meetings, among other things.

Our standpoint is that a responsible investment policy yields stronger pensions and contributes to a more liveable world. That is why we align our investments with the long-term goal of the Paris Agreement on climate change. When it comes to carbon intensity and good governance, we want our investments to outperform the market. Our investment policy also devotes specific attention to gender equality, sustainable cities, and clean and affordable energy.

Policy gets a 7.2 score, gender equality more important
On average, you rate our responsible investment policy with a 7.2. Half of you even give it an 8 or higher! You consider responsible investment important, but slightly less so than in the previous survey. In your view, a good return on the investments is still a key condition that must be met. Shell Pension supports this condition entirely and believes that responsible investment and good returns can go hand in hand. Young people have a more critical view on sustainability.

In the survey, we asked again which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) you believe should receive the most attention. Shell Pension works with four Sustainable Development Goals that best match our Shell identity: Gender Equality, Affordable & Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and Climate Action. We asked you what you think of these SDGs. Although all SDGs are seen as meaningful and important, ‘Affordable and Sustainable Energy’ is particularly appealing. ‘Gender equality’ is now more relevant than three years ago. And the majority of people who completed the survey expect responsible investment to lead to roughly the same risk and return.

Responsible investment is and will continue to be a sensitive subject
Only a relatively small number of you have a good understanding of how the Shell Pension Funds deal with responsible investment. You have also indicated that you would like more concrete information on how we apply the sustainability policy and what it has brought us thus far. With that in mind, we will adapt our communication on this and other relevant topics in the coming year. You can read more on this in the upcoming newsletters and on the website!