All ethical articles – Page 8
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News
Scottish Widows to divest £440m from ESG failures
On the go: Scottish Widows is to divest £440m from companies that failed to meets its environmental, social and governance standards.
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Proposed RI bill would force trustees to consider members’ ‘best interests’
The leader of the Liberal Democrats supports a proposed responsible investment bill broadening the concept of fiduciary duty to encompass sustainability concerns and aim for a ‘world worth retiring into’.
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Second lockdown presents added uncertainty for pension schemes
After August’s worse-than-expected gross domestic product figures and the announcement of yet more anti-Covid measures appeared finally to put to rest hopes of a V-shaped recovery, experts ponder the impact of a second lockdown on pension schemes.
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Greenwashing poses obstacle for would-be sustainable investors
On the go: Sixty per cent of investors say greenwashing is an obstacle to their sustainable investment intentions, while active engagement is one of the key ways asset managers drive sustainable change, according to a report by Schroders.
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PodcastsPodcast: The three-step plan to fix the NHS pension scheme
Podcast: The plethora of administrative maladies facing the NHS pension scheme should be addressed by a three stage approach: capping the problem; a reactive process prioritising those closest to retirement; and proactive use of the dashboard, says Peter Glancy, head of policy development at Scottish Widows. He’s joined by Helen Morrissey, corporate PR specialist, long-term savings at Royal London, in an episode also looking at the suggestion of pensions as deposits for first-time buyers.
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Sustainability and adequacy still dragging UK's pension system
Data crunch: The UK has fallen one place to 15th in the Mercer CFA Global Pensions Index, despite seeing a marginal improvement in its score, while Covid-19 increases pressure on retirement systems worldwide.
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South Yorkshire pensions to go green by 2030
On the go: The South Yorkshire Pensions Authority, responsible for administering the county’s £9bn local authority pension scheme for its 160,000 members, has adopted a net-zero by 2030 policy to govern its portfolio.
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LGPS wades into Israel-Palestine row with UN blacklist engagements
At least two Local Government Pension Scheme funds are undertaking engagements with companies linked to contested Israeli settlements, Pensions Expert can reveal.
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News
Fund managers’ ESG claims outperform reality
A third of asset managers are still not engaging on climate change, according to analysis by Redington. But of those that do, experts warn that their environmental, social and governance ratings may not be all that they appear.
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Smaller schemes to prove value for members or face consolidation
Defined contribution schemes with assets below £100m will have to prove their value for members, or face being advised to wind up or consolidate, according to new rules proposed by the Department for Work and Pensions.
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OpinionApplying the lessons of coronavirus to climate change
Covid-19 has been a proverbial black swan. In the blink of an eye, the world around us has been fundamentally changed, with a distressing death toll, restricted freedom of movement, and the overnight closure of economies.
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News
Investors urge companies to tackle modern-day slavery in Gulf
On the go: Brunel Pension Partnership is among a group of investors calling on companies to protect migrant workers in the Gulf, over concerns that job cancellations caused by Covid-19 are forcing them into debt bondage.
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Trend towards master trusts continues apace
On the go: The rate at which FTSE 250 companies move to master trusts as their main defined contribution vehicle is set to accelerate over the next two years, according to a new report from Willis Towers Watson.
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NewsPodcast: Pension schemes bill could have ‘unintended consequences’
Podcast: The pension schemes bill defines criminal offences so broadly that it could have “unintended consequences” for the running of pension schemes, potentially stifling legitimate corporate activity. Tiffany Tsang, Local Government Pension Scheme and defined benefit policy lead at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, and Eversheds Sutherland partner Jeremy Goodwin both agree that more clarity is needed, in an episode also covering fallout from the passage of the insolvency bill, the launch of the Make My Money Matter campaign, and a 16th century pension scheme bailout.
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Environment Agency scheme takes aim at private equity ESG failings
When BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker took to Twitter after the Make My Money Matter campaign launch to say he “hadn’t even contemplated that investment into our pensions could be so questionable. Will be asking questions now, though”, he manifested the point and the goal of the campaign: most people have a vision for the future, but very few realise the power of pensions in realising it.
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News
How can schemes make ESG compliance meaningful?
Analysis: The UK pension industry’s first attempt at compliance with new sustainability reporting rules has left campaigners unimpressed, to say the very least.
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PodcastsPodcast: 'Crystal ball-gazing' makes ethical investment tough for trustees
Trustees aiming to make ethical investment decisions can find it tough to justify them without recourse to a crystal ball, as the legal requirements are ill-defined, says Irwin Mitchell’s pensions partner Penny Cogher. In this episode she’s joined by independent consultant and long-time pensions expert Malcolm McLean for a discussion covering capital-backed endgame deals, the complications of new insolvency laws, and some morally dubious LGPS investments.
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News
Brunel achieves carbon intensity reduction target
Brunel Pension Partnership has achieved its target of reducing the carbon intensity of its active portfolio by 7 per cent a year in time for the UN’s World Environment Day, but smaller schemes saddled with pooled products may lack the clout required to emulate them.
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NewsUSS divests from coal, tobacco and weapons manufacturers
The UK’s largest pension scheme has announced it is to divest from selected coal, tobacco and weapons manufacturers, following years of campaigning by members and activist groups.
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LGPS has £2bn invested in alleged ‘illegal Israeli settlement’ companies
Thirty-three Local Government Pension Scheme funds retain investments worth more than £2bn in arms manufacturers and in companies accused of supporting illegal Israeli settlements, as some of these schemes opt for engagement instead of divestment.