More ESG news – Page 17
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NewsCushon launches new private markets investment strategy
On the go: Master trust Cushon has launched a new investment strategy that will see a 15 per cent allocation to private markets, in an attempt to “reduce investment risk”.
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News‘Greenium’ widens following £6bn green gilt issuance
On the go: The second issuance of the UK’s green gilt has raised a further £6bn, the Treasury has said, but analysis of the transaction suggests that the ‘greenium’ has widened in secondary markets.
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NewsBig funds invest £128bn in fossil fuels, LCP urges net-zero action
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including research by Friends of the Earth that found the UK’s largest pension funds have no “credible plan” to divest the £128bn currently held in fossil fuels, and a call from LCP for defined contribution schemes to take meaningful action on net-zero ambitions.
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NewsLGPS must consider net-zero impact to avoid social downturn, MPs say
MPs have called on Local Government Pension Scheme funds to mitigate the economic and social risks that a shift to a net-zero economy may have on the communities most affected by the green transition, averting a repeat of the mistakes made during the downturn of industry in the 1980s.
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NewsDWP tells schemes to prioritise stewardship
Pension schemes may see the end of stewardship ‘box-ticking’ under new proposals brought forward by the Department for Work and Pensions.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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NewsMost pension schemes falling short on climate commitments
On the go: An overwhelming number of large UK pension schemes are yet to make net-zero commitments ahead of the COP26 summit, pensions campaign group Make My Money Matter has revealed.
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NewsNew index fund aims to help schemes build Paris-aligned portfolios
On the go: Willis Towers Watson has teamed up with index provider Qontigo to launch the Stoxx Willis Towers Watson Climate Transition Indices, which they say will enable investors to address climate risks in their portfolios with a forward-looking evaluation of Paris-aligned equity valuations.
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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.