Responsible investment aims at taking account of ESG criteria when investing in companies and projects, in order to manage risk with an eye to sustainable development. This creates the basis for better grounded investment decisions based on long-term interests. The responsible investment policy applies to Íslandsbanki’s own investments, as the Bank is a participant in IcelandSIF, the Iceland Sustainable Investment Forum. The Bank encourages its subsidiaries to adopt comparable policies or criteria for responsible investment. In evaluating its asset portfolio with respect to ESG criteria, the Bank will use the methodology it considers most suitable at any given time. Íslandsbanki will encourage its customers to follow the policy in their own investments. The Bank believes that this is consistent with its objective of offering excellent service and protecting its customers’ long-term interests as well as possible. If it should happen that Íslandsbanki acquires assets that in some way are inconsistent with its responsible investment policy — for instance, through financial restructuring or appropriation of collateral — the Bank will endeavour, insofar as it can, to wield its influence with accordance with the Sustainability Policy.