Pension plans as drivers of a sustainable capital market

The project was divided into two parts: Firstly, a research report analysed the effects of the newly introduced social/ethical/ecological reporting requirements for certified private pension plan products and pension funds. The result showed that establishing reporting obligations in the various product segments of the private pension industry has to date had no success and that there have in some cases even been negative counter-effects from an environmental policy viewpoint. The cause of this lies, among other factors, in the interpretation practice of the German financial services supervisory authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht). With regard to the pension funds, however, the trend was positive. The reporting obligation has resulted in a much wider range of sustainable investment products being offered.

Secondly, the brochure titled "Added value – Ecological financial investments" was revised and updated. This involved conducting a survey of the market for sustainable financial investments, based on which the trends since completion of the first issue of the brochure could be tracked. The data collated was used to update the brochure. The various product segments of Green Investment, such as stocks and shares, investment funds, investment certificates, pension plans, life insurance, direct investments and other savings products were again covered in separate sections. The sustainable pension products based on Germany's new Pensions Act were also included. The brochure sets out the opportunities and risks of green investments and assists potential investors in making decisions with regard to ecologically sustainable investment.