All environmental articles – Page 14
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FeaturesCOP26: Mobilising finance to immobilise climate change
COP26 will kick-off on October 31, a date surely circled on the calendar of pension scheme professionals across the country, as dominating this year’s conference will be a highly anticipated update on the progress of meeting global net-zero targets by 2050.
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NewsGreen finance roadmap still missing key details
The government has published its “roadmap to sustainable investing”, laying out a number of new reporting requirements. However, some experts have warned that the plan does not go far enough to make a real difference.
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NewsTPI’s new centre to boost data coverage to 10,000 companies
On the go: The Transition Pathway Initiative has launched the TPI Global Climate Transition Centre, which will boost independent company assessments from 400 to 10,000.
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NewsNest invests in UK solar farm
On the go: Master trust Nest has acquired a solar farm in Reading through its partnership with Octopus Renewables, meaning that one in three of the UK’s workforce is invested in the site.
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NewsAction needed to bolster TCFD uptake despite growing support
On the go: The rate of climate-related financial disclosures has increased more in the past year than in any previous year, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures has reported, but warned that “significant work” remains.
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NewsPLSA publishes ESG case studies, TPP excludes 150 companies
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including the launch of practical case studies to help schemes achieve climate goals, and The People’s Pension divesting £226m from companies that failed to meet standards.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes’ trustees cannot ignore social factors risks
Podcast: Climate change and environmental issues are front of mind for many pension schemes right now, but with the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting social inequalities at home and abroad, the social aspects of ESG investment cannot be ignored. For this episode of the Pensions Expert podcast, we talk to Stefan Lundbergh, director at Cardano, and John Howchin, secretary-general of the Council on Ethics for Sweden’s national pension funds, about why socially aware investing is so important for pension funds of all sizes — and how trustees can go about taking action.
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NewsClimate awareness now ‘business as usual’ for schemes, Aon says
On the go: Managing climate change is now “business as usual” for pension funds, while other factors surrounding political instability have diminished in importance, Tim Manuel, co-head of responsible investment at Aon, told the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference.
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NewsAdaption: How schemes can tackle climate and social issues together
As the COP26 conference draws near, the summit’s theme of ‘adaptation’ has raised questions around how schemes can align their environmental and societal commitments to protect the planet’s ecology and communities.
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NewsOpperman lauds ‘transformational’ climate requirements
Pensions minister Guy Opperman has lauded the government’s “utterly transformational” approach to climate reporting requirements, while promising legislation on “simpler statements” and the “statements season” in the near future.
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NewsKeeping ahead of regulation curve vital to private market success
On the go: Private markets offer schemes access to transactions that will facilitate the transition to a green economy, but staying ahead of the regulatory curve is vital to achieving success within the space, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference has heard.
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NewsPPF 7800 surplus jumps £25bn in September
On the go: The latest update of the PPF 7800 Index shows the aggregate surplus of the 5,318 defined benefit schemes measured jumped by more than £25bn to £108.8bn at the end of September, up from £83.2bn at the end of August.
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News‘Greenium’ concerns remain around second green gilts issuance
On the go: The second issuance of the government’s green gilts is expected on October 18. While the first issuance was significantly oversubscribed, concerns about the “greenium” have deterred some pension schemes from investing.
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NewsPodcast: Mandating net zero could ‘cut straight through’ fiduciary duties
Podcast: The government mandating default funds be aligned with ‘net zero’ would be a way around concerns about fiduciary responsibility, but there are questions about what this would mean in practice. Stuart O’Brien, partner at Sackers, and Gareth Stears, pensions technical consultant at Aries Insight, discuss environmental, social and governance issues, social housing, and the Pensions Regulator’s controversial criminal powers.
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NewsGovernments should consider green investing incentives, says IMF
Policymakers should consider providing a financial incentive for sustainable funds as existing capital is “too limited in size and scope” to have a major impact on climate change, the International Monetary Fund has warned.
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NewsTfL, Avon Pension Fund and Phoenix Group commit to net zero
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with the Transport for London Pension Fund committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, Avon Pension Fund shifting £780m into a Paris-aligned benchmark, and Phoenix Group setting a carbon emission-reduction target of 50 per cent by 2030.
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FeaturesAre schemes ready to mitigate carbon through their investments?
COP26 guidelines dictate four main ways for the world to become net-zero by 2030 through the mitigation of carbon production. The challenge for pension funds is getting to grips with how these can be aligned with their investment process.
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NewsMPs urge government to make green pensions industry world-leading
MPs have urged the government to seize upon the opportunities COP26 presents to the pensions industry and have called for more consensus on tackling climate change.
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NewsBorder to Coast commits to net zero
On the go: The Border to Coast Pensions Partnership, which handles the assets of 11 Local Government Pension Scheme funds worth a collective £55bn, has committed to achieve net zero across its entire investment portfolio by 2050 or sooner in recognition of the urgent need to tackle climate change.
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NewsCapita pension scheme appoints fiduciary manager
On the go: The £1.5bn Capita Pension & Life Assurance Scheme has selected Russell Investments as its fiduciary manager after the scheme trustees’ decided to move to an improved investment governance model.