$50 Billion ESG Pledge Is Followed by Danish Warning on Returns

The biggest pension funds in Denmark have just said they’ll plow over $50 billion into sustainable energy within the next decade. Now, the country’s regulator says such investments will only fly if they offer competitive returns.

Jesper Berg, the head of the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority, says pension funds looking for greener investment options risk a run-in with the regulator if they sacrifice returns. The rules, as they stand now, require that funds always target the best possible return for their customers, he says.

In an interview in Copenhagen, Berg said that “as long as they believe they can ...