More ESG news – Page 18
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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.
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PodcastsPodcast: Understanding green and sustainable bonds
Podcast: The green bond market is forecast to hit $500bn (£366bn) by the end of this year, according to the Climate Bonds Initiative, while the UK government has just raised £10bn from its debut green bond issue. However, high demand and limited supply raises questions over pricing and yield, while the availability of suitable projects has ignited concerns over greenwashing. In this podcast, Arthur Leijgraaff, senior treasury officer at the Dutch development bank FMO, and Rik Klerkx, senior portfolio manager at Cardano, explain what goes into a green bond issuance, and what trustees need to ask of their asset managers and issuers.
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NewsPoor engagement hampers asset managers’ ESG commitments
On the go: Asset managers are not living up to their environmental, social and governance commitments, research from Redington has found, with shortcomings in stewardship and engagement prominent.
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NewsShould regulators take the lead on ESG in pensions?
The extent to which financial regulators should get involved in setting environmental, social and governance requirements is a hot topic, with some experts arguing that involvement could stifle innovation.
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NewsPension funds poised to help social housing crisis
The pension fund industry could deploy its capital and expertise to revitalise everyday services such as social housing and infrastructure, after ambitious government plans to grow sectors have fallen short in recent years.
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NewsRiver and Mercantile joins green gilts issuance
On the go: River and Mercantile has announced its participation in the government’s inaugural green gilts issuance.
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NewsTaskforce lays out measures to boost schemes’ voting powers
The Taskforce on Pension Scheme Voting Implementation has called on the Department for Work and Pensions and the Financial Conduct Authority to create templates and requirements aimed at boosting asset owners’ ability to vote, especially in pooled funds.
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NewsLPFA pushes for net-zero, consultants form new ESG initiative
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with several asset owners joining the Paris Aligned Investment Initiative, the launch of a new net-zero investment consultants enterprise, and a group of investors putting pressure on governments to mandate companies and auditors to align financial accounts to net zero.
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NewsPension risk transfer activity expected to increase in H2 2021
Data crunch: Although UK pension schemes have shown a reduced appetite for risk transfers so far this year, there could be a rise in the number of buyout and buy-in deals that will be completed during the second half of 2021.
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NewsIndustry body launches new ESG guide for trustees
On the go: The Society of Pension Professionals has launched an environmental, social and governance guide for pension trustees, aimed at schemes that do not have size and resources to effectively manage its integration.
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PodcastsPodcast: Trustees need to address sponsor covenant climate risk
Podcast: With climate change becoming central to investment discussions, trustees also need to think about how similar risks can affect the strength of their scheme’s sponsor and its ability to stand behind the pension fund. In this podcast, Lincoln Pensions managing director Michael Bushnell explains what questions trustees need to ask, what to do with the information they get, and why employers really need to pay attention to climate change in their pension finance discussions.
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FeaturesComplexities hamper social impact bonds’ true potential
Despite the launch of the UK’s sovereign green bond dominating the socially conscious fixed income discourse, there is still room for social impact bonds in schemes’ portfolios.
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NewsSchemes have over £1tn in assets exposed to ‘significant’ climate risk
On the go: More than £1tn in assets held by UK institutional investors is exposed to significant climate risks, according to research from LCP.
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NewsCalls for climate reporting harmony as FCA and DWP rules diverge
The Financial Conduct Authority’s climate-related disclosure rules for asset managers, life insurers and its regulated pension providers should be brought into line with Department for Work and Pensions regulations to give greater clarity and consistency, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has said.