ABP and APG invite Greenpeace to cooperate on strengthening engagement
Greenpeace and ABP / APG will meet again in the spring of 2019 to discuss ABP's sustainability objectives. That is the most important outcome of the discussion that took place yesterday between a delegation from Greenpeace and CEO’s Corien Wortmann from ABP and Gerard van Olphen (APG).
reason for the conversation was a petition that Greenpeace offered earlier that day to draw attention to investments in tar sands.
As was to be expected, both parties did not come closer together on the 'tar sand dossier'. Corien Wortmann once again clarified that ABP / APG only invests in companies that already belong to the top in this area and respect human rights. Greenpeace maintains its position that ABP / APG must immediately stop investing in tar sands.
On the part of ABP / APG, both directors were given ample opportunity to explain the sustainability policy. Van Olphen pointed out what he calls the 'four-digit PIN code' of ABP / APG's investment policy. He emphasized that sustainability weighs in as much as the traditional criteria of return, risk and costs.
Corien Wortmann invited Greenpeace to a meeting in March 2019. 'Let's meet again to see what our investment portfolio looks like. Then we can also assess whether we have been able to challenge each other. Moreover, we can then talk about what the sustainability objectives of ABP should be after 2020.'
Gerard van Olphen agreed: 'Greenpeace knows so much about sustainability. Help us to further increase our engagement.' The Greenpeace delegation sympathetically accepted the invitation for further discussion.