Sustainability Policy

In August 2020 the Bergesen Foundation, as the first grant issuing public benefit foundation in Norway, received Eco-lighthouse certification. Eco-Lighthouse is Norway's most widely used certification scheme for enterprises seeking to document their sustainability efforts and demonstrate social responsibility. Within the framework of its public benefit objective, the Foundation commits to reducing its environmental and climate impact and being as eco-friendly as possible, through its grants, stewardship and operations.

During the preparatory work ahead of the certification, the Bergesen Foundation Board of Trustees adopted a new Climate and Environmental Policy in March 2020. This policy sets out the high-level framework for the Foundation's work on sustainability.

Our High-Level Climate and Environmental Policy

The Bergesen Foundation aims to:

  • Ensure the Foundation has a climate and environmentally friendly impact on society within the framework of our public benefit objective
  • Maintain and continue to develop a good corporate reputation

Areas where our operations impact or have the potential to impact the environment:

Internal operations:
- Purchasing of goods and services

Grants:
- Through requiring that applicants report on any potential climate and environmental concerns arising from their projects, and any measures to manage and improve on these
- Through the Board considering climate and environmental impacts during allocation decisions

Stewardship of The Foundation’s capital assets:
- The Foundation shall set out clear guidelines for the stewardship of our capital assets, and maintain an awareness of the climate and environmental impact of our holdings

We strive for continuous improvement in these areas by:

  • Treating climate and environmental considerations as an integral part of the Foundation's operations
  • Having clear procedures and guidelines for climate and environmental management
  • Complying with Public Authority environmental requirements and regulations

Asset management

The Bergesen Foundation’s Board of Trustees adopted new guidelines for responsible investments in March 2020, as part of the preparatory work for the Eco-lighthouse certification. These guidelines state:

“The Foundation presupposes that achieving a good return over time depends on sustainable development in terms of the economy, climate, environment and society in general” and “The Bergesen Foundation wants to gradually increase its exposure to funds that contribute to the resolution of sustainability challenges, including climate and environmental challenges, within the framework of current yield expectations.”

Grants

From 2021 the Bergesen Foundation application form will include a question about the potential positive and negative climate and environmental impacts of projects. This is part of the Bergesen Foundation's commitment to include environmental considerations in the Foundation's grant allocation decision process.

Internal operations

The Bergesen Foundation requires all our suppliers to obtain environmental certification. The Foundation follows up on the suppliers’ annual Eco-lighthouse climate and environmental reporting, including reporting on internal operations and Health and Safety.