Sustainable Investments in the Insurance Sector

21 December 2022DOI: https://doi.org/10.33893/FER.21.4.103

Author information:

Viktória Deák: Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Junior Analyst. E-mail:

Nikolett Tőrös-Barczel: Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Analyst. E-mail:

Norbert Holczinger: Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Head of Department. E-mail:

Ferenc Szebelédi: Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Head of Department. E-mail:

Abstract:

Achieving global environmental and climate agreements requires the efforts of not only supranational organisations and states, but also the financial sector, including the insurance sector. In addition to the core business of insurance companies, i.e. the undertaking of risk, their investments also play a key role. Recent years have seen an increasing number of unit-linked products that seek to contribute to some sustainability goal. However, the sustainability approaches and investor disclosures of collective investment undertakings and unit-linked asset funds have not been uniform, warranting regulation on account of the growing risk of greenwashing. New EU legislation has created the opportunity, inter alia, to distinguish collective investment undertakings and asset funds in terms of sustainability and to ensure greater transparency for investors. While there is no doubt about the need for regulation, at this stage it poses a number of challenges for institutions.

Cite as (APA):

Deák, V., Tőrös-Barczel, N., Holczinger, N., & Szebelédi, F. (2022). Sustainable Investments in the Insurance Sector. Financial and Economic Review, 21(4), 103–128. https://doi.org/10.33893/FER.21.4.103

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Column:

Study

Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) codes:

G22, G32, K29, Q56

Keywords:

unit linked insurance, ESG, transparency, SFDR, climate change

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