Putnam VT Sustainable Future Fund

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Delivery of paper fund reports

In accordance with regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, beginning on or after January 1, 2021, at the election of your insurance provider, you may not receive paper copies of the fund’s annual and semiannual reports in the mail from the insurance provider that offers your variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy unless you specifically request it. Instead, they will be available on a website, and your insurance provider will notify you by mail whenever a new one is available, and provide you with a website link to access the report.

If you wish to continue to receive paper reports free of charge after January 1, 2021, please contact your insurance provider.

If you already receive these reports electronically, no action is required.

Before you invest, you may wish to review the fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You may obtain the prospectus and other information about the fund, including the statement of additional information (SAI) and most recent reports to shareholders, at no cost by visiting putnam.com/individual/annuities, calling 1-800-225-1581, or e-mailing Putnam at funddocuments@putnam.com.

The fund’s prospectus and SAI, both dated 4/30/19, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus.

Fund summary

Goal

Putnam VT Sustainable Future Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Fees and expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. The fees and expenses information does not reflect insurance-related charges or expenses borne by contract holders indirectly investing in the fund. If it did, expenses would be higher.

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

						Total
						annual
						fund
						operating
		Distri-				expenses
		bution		Total		after
		and		annual	Expense	expense
	Manage-	service		fund	reim-	reim-
Share	ment	(12b-1)	Other	operating	burse-	burse-
class	fees	fees	expenses	expenses	ment#	ment
Class IA	0.55%	N/A	0.34%	0.89%	(0.07)%	0.82%
Class IB	0.55%	0.25%	0.34%	1.14%	(0.07)%	1.07%

# Reflects Putnam Investment Management, LLC’s contractual obligation to limit certain fund expenses through 4/30/20. This obligation may be modified or discontinued only with approval of the fund’s Board of Trustees.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The example does not reflect insurance-related charges or expenses. If it did, expenses would be higher. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem or hold all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class	1 year	3 years	5 years	10 years
Class IA	$84	$277	$486	$1,090
Class IB	$109	$355	$621	$1,380

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 99%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

We invest mainly in common stocks of U.S. companies of any size, with a focus on companies whose products and services we believe provide solutions that directly contribute to sustainable social, environmental and economic development (Impact Companies). Stocks of this type of company are typically, but not always, considered to be growth stocks. Growth stocks are stocks of companies whose earnings are expected to grow faster than those of similar firms, and whose business growth and other characteristics may lead to an increase in stock price. We consider, among other factors, a company’s impact on sustainable environmental, social and economic development (as described below), valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell investments. We may also invest in non-U.S. companies.

Summary prospectus of the Trust 1 

Sustainable investing – Impact Companies. We believe that companies whose products and services produce positive environmental, social and economic development impact also often demonstrate strong financial growth and profitability. Accordingly, in selecting investments, we consider the extent to which a company’s products or services may provide solutions that directly impact sustainable environmental, social and economic development. Environmental impact may include, for example, reduction of carbon emissions and improved water quality. Social impact may include, for example, fair labor practices and responsible supply chain management. Economic development may include, for example, stakeholder analysis and shared value approaches to business practices. It is likely that the metrics and measurements that we use to evaluate environmental, social and economic development impacts will continue to evolve over time.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

The value of investments in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general economic, political or financial market conditions, investor sentiment and market perceptions, government actions, geopolitical events or changes, and factors related to a specific issuer, geography, industry or sector. These and other factors may lead to increased volatility and reduced liquidity in the fund’s portfolio holdings. Growth stocks may be more susceptible to earnings disappointments, technological obsolescence, falling prices and profits, and the market may not favor growth-style investing. These risks are generally greater for small and midsize companies. From time to time, the fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in companies in one or more related industries or sectors, which would make the fund more vulnerable to adverse developments affecting those industries or sectors. The value of international investments traded in foreign currencies may be adversely impacted by fluctuations in exchange rates. International investments, particularly investments in emerging markets, may carry risks associated with potentially less stable economies or governments (such as the risk of seizure by a foreign government, the imposition of currency or other restrictions, or high levels of inflation or deflation), and may be or become illiquid.

Investing with a focus on Impact Companies may cause the fund to forego otherwise attractive investment opportunities or may increase or decrease the fund’s exposure to certain types of companies and, therefore, to underperform funds that do not invest with a similar focus. In evaluating an investment opportunity, we may make investment decisions based on information and data that is incomplete or inaccurate. In addition, an Impact Company’s products or services may change over time. As a result of these possibilities, the fund may temporarily hold securities that are inconsistent with the fund’s sustainable investment criteria.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. Before April  30, 2018, the fund was managed with a materially different investment strategy and may have achieved materially different performance results under its current investment strategy from that shown for periods before this date. The performance information does not reflect insurance-related charges or expenses. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results.

Average annual total returns
(for periods ended 12/31/18)

Share class	1 year	5 years	10 years
Class IA	–4.64%	5.00%	13.33%
Class IB	–4.94%	4.73%	13.03%
Russell MidCap Growth Index*
(no deduction for fees or expenses)	–4.75%	7.42%	15.12%
Russell 3000 Value-Russell MidCap
Growth Linked Benchmark** (no
deduction for fees or expenses)	–7.95%	5.91%	11.20%

* Frank Russell Company is the source and owner of the trademarks, ser vice marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Frank Russell Company.

**The Russell 3000 Value-Russell MidCap Growth Linked Benchmark represents performance of the Russell 3000 Value Index from the inception date of the fund, May 1, 2003, through April 30, 2018 and performance of the Russell MidCap Growth Index from May 1, 2018 through the current period.

Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio manager

Katherine Collins, Head of Sustainable Investing, portfolio manager of the fund since 2018

Assistant portfolio manager

Stephanie Henderson, Portfolio Manager, Analyst, assistant portfolio manager of the fund since 2018

2 Summary prospectus of the Trust 

Sub-advisor

Putnam Investments Limited*

* Though the investment advisor has retained the services of Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), PIL does not currently manage any assets of the fund.

Purchase and sale of fund shares

Fund shares are offered to separate accounts of various insurers. The fund requires no minimum investment, but insurers may require minimum investments from those purchasing variable insurance products for which the fund is an underlying investment option. Insurers may purchase or sell shares on behalf of separate accounts by submitting an order to Putnam Retail Management any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. Some restrictions may apply.

Tax information

Generally, owners of variable insurance contracts are not taxed currently on income or gains realized with respect to such contracts. However, some distributions from such contracts may be taxable at ordinary income tax rates and distributions to contract owners younger than 59½ may be subject to a 10% penalty tax. For more information, please see the prospectus (or other offering document) for your variable insurance contract.

Payments to insurance companies

The fund is offered as an underlying investment option for variable insurance contracts. The fund and its related companies may make payments to the sponsoring insurance company (or its affiliates) and dealers for distribution and/or other services. These payments may create an incentive for the insurance company to include the fund, rather than another investment, as an option in its products and may create a conflict of interest for dealers in recommending the fund over another investment. The prospectus (or other offering document) for your variable insurance contract may contain additional information about these payments.

Information about the Summary Prospectus, Prospectus, and SAI

The summary prospectus, prospectus, and SAI for a fund provide information concerning the fund. The summary prospectus, prospectus, and SAI are updated at least annually and any information provided in a summary prospectus, prospectus, or SAI can be changed without a shareholder vote unless specifically stated otherwise. The summary prospectus, prospectus, and the SAI are not contracts between the fund and its shareholders and do not give rise to any contractual rights or obligations or any shareholder rights other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.

Additional information is available at putnam.com/individual/ annuities, by calling 1-800-225-1581, or by e-mailing Putnam at funddocuments@putnam.com.

Summary prospectus of the Trust 3 

	File No. 811-05346   VTBP075 316374 4/19
4 Summary prospectus of the Trust