COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The Novo Nordisk Foundation, top shareholder of Danish obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk, plans to give a larger portion of its social, scientific and humanitarian grants outside of Denmark, a foundation spokesperson said on Monday.

The foundation will continue to place the vast majority of its grants in Denmark as it currently does, but will gradually increase the amount of grants it places outside the Nordic country in the coming years.

"Many of the major challenges we face in relation to human health, climate and the environment cannot simply be solved within Denmark's borders," the spokesperson said.

Nearly all the Novo Nordisk Foundation's earnings come from abroad, according to the spokesperson.

In 2023 it awarded 9.1 billion Danish crowns ($1.33 billion) in grants, a statement earlier this month showed.

The foundation receives its funds from the wholly owned subsidiary Novo Holdings, through which it controls Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk as well as other companies.

The foundation uses dividends it receives to award grants for scientific, social and humanitarian causes, while any funds it does not spend are reinvested by Novo Holdings in companies and securities, according to the foundation's website.

($1 = 6.8437 Danish crowns)