fair-finance: Most Socially Responsible Pension Fund Central Europe 2020

fair-finance is an Austrian pension fund which modestly opts for the lower case in its official title, but holds an elevated role in its sector. Employers in the country make compulsory contributions to worker provident funds called vorsorgekassen – and fair-finance is one of the select few entrusted to safeguard those payments. Over the past decade, fair-finance has executed a sustainable investment strategy. lt uses a trifocal lens to steer investments towards opportunities with economic, environmental and social benefits, and levers asset allocation to influence the capital market. In 2016, the special real estate fund “fair-finance real estate” became the first Austrian real estate fund to earn Ecolabel certification, and 2020 fair-finance has earned Gold Certificate status from the ÖGUT (Austrian Society for Environment and Technology) for the sustainable investment portfolio 2019. fair-finance first published annual sustainability report, highlighting key financial and non-financial figures won the ASRA 2019 (Austrian Sustainability Reporting Award) at the very first submission. lt has a customer advisory board with employer and employee representatives, and a profit-sharing scheme. In partnership with Senat der Wirtschaft (the Economic Senate), fair-finance has launched the first Austrian Social Entrepreneurship fund to invest in business cases with social impact. The fund is expected to provide social entrepreneurs with €5-€10m over the next six to eight years. fair-finance’s portfolio focuses on microfinance, private debt, energy storage technology, reforestation, elderly care, real estate and social business – and enabled savings of 17,908 tonnes of C02 in 2019. The CFl.co judging panel is pleased to present fair-finance, a repeat winner in the awards programme, with the 2020 award for Most Socially Responsible Pension Fund (Central Europe).