Each year, CFA Society Sweden recognizes outstanding contributions to the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations and sustainability within the investment industry through its ESG Award.
The 2025 ESG Award was presented to Sustainable Finance Lab during CFA Society Sweden’s Annual Forecast Dinner in Stockholm.
The award recognizes Sustainable Finance Lab’s important contribution to advancing sustainable finance in Sweden through research, education, public dialogue, and collaboration across academia, industry, and policy. By bringing together diverse stakeholders and promoting evidence-based discussion, Sustainable Finance Lab has played a meaningful role in strengthening the understanding and development of sustainable finance practices.
John Howchin, member of CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee and responsible for the Award’s nomination process, commented on the decision:
“The jury recognised the Stockholm Sustainable Finance Centre for its long-term work in advancing sustainable finance from a systemic perspective, and for establishing an important platform where academia, the financial sector, and broader societal stakeholders come together to drive the transition toward a more sustainable and resilient financial system.”
Sustainable Finance Lab is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the transition to a sustainable financial system. Through research projects, publications, events, and stakeholder engagement, the organization contributes to increased knowledge and practical solutions for integrating sustainability into financial decision-making.
Previous recipients of the CFA Sweden ESG Award are:
- 2024 – IÄF – The Institutional Owners Association
- 2023 – Global Child Forum
- 2022 – ChemSec – the International Chemical Secretariat
- 2021 – Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute and Ulf Erlandsson
- 2018 – Norrsken Foundation
- 2017 – Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB)
- 2016 – Örebro Kommun and Region Västmanland
- 2015 – Steven Smit, Morningstar
- 2014 – Mats Andersson, AP4, Liza Jonson, Storebrand AM and Gunella Hahn, Svenska Kyrkan
- 2013 – Hennes & Mauritz AB
- 2012 – Peter Norman, Finansdepartementet
- 2011 – Gunilla Hjalmarsson, Meta AM. and Anna Nilsson, Swedbank Robur
- 2010 – Sasja Beslik, Nordea Investment Management
About CFA Society Sweden:
CFA Society Sweden is a not-for-profit organisation of investment professionals based in Sweden, founded in 2003. It aims to promote a high level of professionalism among its members and the broader investment community. The organisation has 165 members who are CFA Charterholders. A CFA Charterholder is a person who has successfully completed the CFA program, which is considered amongst the most challenging financial exams in the world. There are currently over 150,000 CFA Charterholders worldwide. The CFA program is administered by the CFA Institute.
About CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee:
The CFA Society Sweden’s ESG Committee is composed of engaged members of CFA Society Sweden who have a strong interest in the promotion of high-quality education and in supporting sound ESG standards in the analysis of financial investments. The ESG Committee is chaired by Simone Hirschvogl, CFA. The committee’s longest-standing member is John Howchin, former Secretary-General of the Council on Ethics for the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Swedish National Pension Funds. Currently, he oversees sector strategy for the work on the Transition Decade project with a focus on the hard-to-abate sectors at IIGCC and for the Climate Action100+ project, among many other engagements. Howchin is responsible for the ESG Award’s nomination process.
