Elekta is a Swedish listed company and a world leader in the manufacture of radiation treatment equipment for cancer treatment.

Financial incentive for sustainability
At Danske Bank, we have recently helped the company issue a sustainability-linked bond, where part of the proceeds is linked to a social sustainability KPI. With this type of bond, we as a bank create a financial incentive to work dedicatedly with sustainability, as Elekta must pay a higher interest rate to investors if they do not reach their goals.

“It is a project that feels really good. Elekta is a great company that helps people get rid of cancer. The new bond is based on one of Elekta's most important sustainability goals, namely to offer an effective form of treatment in countries where cancer treatment is today a neglected area,” says Mats Wallander, who is customer responsible for Elekta at Danske Bank.

If Elekta achieves this sustainability goal, modern cancer treatment will be made available to nearly 300 million people in developing countries in the coming years.

More specifically, the target for part of the bond's proceeds is for Elekta to install at least 825 radiation treatment machines in a number of underdeveloped markets, often equated with developing countries.

“There is great interest among investors to help companies achieve their sustainability goals, which has only become more evident in connection with this issuance. This type of bond has the potential to become a major growth area within sustainable financing,” says Mats Wallander.

Danske Bank has helped Elekta both create the framework for the bond and ensure interest from investors.