Successful Collaboration
between Swedbank Robur
and Global Child Forum

“The world’s largest companies impact children differently across various geographical regions. Children may work within supply chains, have parents employed by these companies, be end users of products and services, and be integral parts of local and global communities where these companies operate,” highlighted Matthew Goodwin, Head of Sustainable Investing at Global Child Forum. “By helping companies understand how they impact children, we can improve the lives of millions of children worldwide.”

Every year, the Global Child Forum releases a benchmark to assess the commitment of the world’s most influential companies to children’s rights. Swedbank Robur, with its longstanding commitment to children’s rights, uses this benchmark as both an analytical tool and a platform for engaging in dialogues with companies.

Matthew Goodwin elaborated: “Companies have various avenues in which to address their impact on children. For example, they can bridge policy gaps, enhance reporting practices, and implement measures to eradicate child labour within their supply chains. Moreover, businesses can facilitate access to education for young people in the communities they serve.”

He also pointed out an area where many companies need improvement: “Consistently, our benchmark reveals that companies perform weakest in ensuring compliance with privacy and marketing laws. This pertains to how companies design, label, and market their products and services to children.”

During the spring, Kristin Wallander, Senior Sustainability Analyst at Swedbank Robur, spearheaded efforts to strengthen collaboration with Global Child Forum. “We suggested jointly sending letters to prominent global companies inquiring about their approach to children’s rights. Global Child Forum enthusiastically embraced this idea, reaching 35 companies worldwide. We also invited other investors to endorse the letter as part of this effort,” Kristin Wallander explained.

When asked why collaboration with organisations like Global Child Forum and other investors is so important, she emphasised: “We firmly believe that collaboration is essential for driving real change. The more people working towards a common goal, the greater impact we can achieve.”

Kristin Wallander shared how the companies responded to the letter: “The responses were mixed, but we are diligently following up and continuing our work on this issue with the concerned companies. For instance, one of the companies that received the letter was Tencent, a Chinese technology company specialising in internet-related services. They did not initially respond to the letter, but when our fund managers later met with them, they presented the letter. Subsequently, we received a response from Tencent, and they scheduled a meeting with Global Child Forum. During that meeting, Global Child Forum provided valuable insights into areas where Tencent could enhance its commitment to children’s rights. As a result, the company has started initiatives related to children’s rights that they had not previously undertaken.”

As for the future of their collaboration, Kristin Wallander assured: “We will continue to follow up on the companies’ responses and ensure that they translate their commitments into tangible actions. Naturally, we will persist in raising issues related to children’s rights during our dialogues with companies.”

On October 30, Global Child Forum is set to release a new benchmark encompassing over a thousand companies worldwide. This ongoing partnership between Swedbank Robur and Global Child Forum stands as a testament to their shared commitment to improving the lives of children and promoting children’s rights on a global scale.

This article was originally published on the website of Swedbank Robur.