Stichting Pensioenfonds ABP, Heerlen, Netherlands, invested €50 million ($54 million) in a blue bond issued by Danish renewable energy company Orsted, a spokeswoman confirmed.
The five-year, €100 million blue bond was issued in a private placement in accordance with the International Finance Corporation's guidelines on blue finance, which focuses on economic growth in relation to healthy marine ecosystems.
Proceeds from the issuance will be allocated to investments according to Orsted's 2030 commitments to biodiversity and sustainable shipping.
"The introduction and broad application of innovative solutions to minimize the negative impacts of human activity at sea, including offshore wind farm construction, is crucial for achieving the Paris climate goals while at the same time combatting the biodiversity crisis. We strongly believe this investment is a great opportunity, both in terms of its positive ecological impact and its risk and return prospects for our beneficiaries," Harmen van Wijnen, chairman of ABP, said in a Thursday news release.
"As a long-term responsible investor, we believe it is our societal responsibility to contribute to the protection and restoration of biodiversity and the rebuilding and strengthening of natural ecosystems," he added.
ABP has €476 billion in assets.