More ESG news – Page 23
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NewsLGPS assets drop 5% in 2020 as contribution income rises
Local Government Pension Scheme assets fell by 4.9 per cent in 2020 to £276bn, but funds saw increases in membership and contribution income, according to the most recent annual report from the LGPS Advisory Board.
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NewsUSS invests in Iberian solar energy platform
On the go: The £67.6bn Universities Superannuation Scheme has invested €225m (£193.7) in an Iberian solar energy platform.
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NewsBTPS develops tool to assess govt bonds’ climate change exposure
On the go: The BT Pension Scheme and the Church of England Pensions Board are part of an investors group that is creating a tool to measure, monitor and compare sovereign bonds’ climate change governance and performance.
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OpinionNow is the time for schemes to turn attention to social risk factors
From the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic to growing equality and human rights movements, the past year has brought many significant changes both in terms of behaviour and views relating to social factors.
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OpinionDriving the ESG agenda through fixed income
Delivering impact-type outcomes has been very much the preserve of equity funds up until now, but times are changing and fixed income is coming more into the mix.
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PodcastsPodcast: Pension schemes’ under-allocation to China is ‘anachronistic’
Podcast: UK pension schemes are too often under-allocated to China and missing out on the significant opportunities presented by its continued growth and development. There are, however, lingering environmental, social and governance concerns around investing in the “nominally communist” state, says RisCura investment consultant Lars Hagenbuch. He is joined by SEI Investments director Cyprian Njamma in an episode also covering Covid-19 mortality data and the Pensions Regulator’s proposed asset information reform.
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NewsExperts cite stewardship as more important than investment choices
On the go: A majority of leading pension figures believes that effective stewardship is more influential in tackling environmental, social and governance issues than in what is being invested, according to participants at a Law Debenture event.
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NewsFCA to require TCFD reports from providers and asset managers
On the go:The Financial Conduct Authority is to consult on the introduction of Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures requirements for schemes it regulates, bringing its regulations into line with those proposed by the Department for Work and Pensions.
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NewsBrunel pool lowers carbon intensity
On the go: The Brunel Pension Partnership, composed of 10 Local Government Pension Schemes with around £30bn in assets under management, has reduced the carbon intensity of all its active portfolios and all but one of its index-tracking portfolios by at least 7 per cent compared with its 2019 baseline.
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NewsBorder to Coast commits to private credit
On the go: The Border to Coast Pension Partnership, which handles the assets of 11 Local Government Pension Schemes worth a total of around £46bn, has made commitments of more than £575m to six private credit funds.
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NewsUK pension schemes under-allocated to Chinese equities
UK pension schemes’ allocation to China as a percentage of global equities is generally inadequate, but there is no consensus as to how big the allocation should be, according to participants at Camradata’s Investing in China roundtable.
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NewsUSS targets net-zero emissions, MPs launch stewardship inquiry
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with the Universities Superannuation Scheme targeting net-zero carbon emissions, the Work and Pensions Committee launching an inquiry into stewardship, and COP26, and new research showing that almost half of savers would prefer greener pensions.
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NewsLGPS pool launches renewable infrastructure, private debt funds
On the go: London CIV, which oversees £12.6bn on behalf of 32 London Local Government Pension Schemes, has launched a renewable infrastructure fund and a private debt strategy.
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PodcastsPodcast: Illiquids not necessarily the answer for DC
Podcast: Illiquid asset classes might seem attractive in theory, but there would be difficulties establishing them in a defined contribution pension portfolio, even if all the regulatory burdens were removed. Brian Henderson, partner and director of consulting at Mercer, is joined by Shola Salako, professional trustee at Dalriada, to discuss alternatives, putting the S in ESG, and fixing the problems with chair’s statements.
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NewsUKSIF urges pensions sector to ramp up sustainability
On the go: The UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association has proposed a series of measures to increase sustainability in the pensions sector, as part of its new policy version.
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NewsRedington and Fidelity to target net-zero by 2050
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with Redington and Fidelity announcing a reduction in carbon emissions.
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NewsPPI urges pension schemes to explore broader ESG factors
On the go: The Pensions Policy Institute is urging pension schemes to put more emphasis on social and governance factors when considering socially responsible investment.
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NewsEngagement drives progress to ‘net-zero’
On the go: Engagement has been key to embedding sustainability across investment strategies, and driving progress towards a “net-zero by 2050 target”, according to a new report from Kempen Capital Management.
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NewsTreasury committee calls for ESG regulations for smaller schemes
On the go: The Treasury committee published on Thursday a unanimously agreed report as part of its decarbonisation and green finance inquiry, which calls for environmental, social and governance regulations for smaller schemes.
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NewsEnvironment Agency to go net-zero, LGPS pool backs ESG framework
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with the Environment Agency Pension Fund targeting net-zero carbon emissions, and the Border to Coast pool supporting a framework for standards in alternative assets.