More ESG news – Page 36
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OpinionDWP consultation will force trustees to take notice of ESG
Pension trustees walk something of a tightrope these days, having to balance maximum short-term returns with being mindful of long-term factors that might affect future performance.
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Features
Making ESG part and parcel of the DC investment process
Earlier this year, the Environmental Audit Committee wrote to the UK’s largest 25 pension schemes to ask how they manage the risks climate change poses to retirement savings.
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OpinionThe day that climate became mainstream
From the blog: Climate campaigners across the country spluttered into their morning cups of fair trade coffee last Tuesday as the Department for Work and Pensions and Financial Conduct Authority published their final responses to the Law Commission’s 2017 report on pensions and social investing.
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News
Government sets out proposals for trustee ESG investment duties
Trustees will be expected to publish a statement on how they take account of scheme members’ ethical views, if proposed requirements floated in a government consultation are implemented.
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FeaturesCommodity of the future: Does water have a place in pension portfolios?
In North America, an inconspicuous object the size of a tennis ball has yielded significant returns for investors in what might be considered the world's cheapest, and also the most critical, commodity.
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News
Seeking members' ethical views could muddy DB waters, experts say
The Environmental Audit Committee has proposeda requirement for schemes to actively seek the views of their members when producing their statement of investment principles, a move experts say could complicate matters for defined benefit trustees.
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OpinionEveryone has a role to play in ESG
There is, as yet, no legal requirement for pension schemes to provide or incorporate environmental, social and governance-led funds into their investments. So who is responsible for responsible investment and what role should different parties play in pushing this up the agenda?
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FeaturesWest Midlands to divest from arms manufacturer
The West Midlands Pension Fund has agreed to divest from South Korean arms manufacturer Hanwha Corporation after years of sustained pressure on the company from institutional investors across the globe in relation to cluster munitions.
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OpinionESG investing has little to do with ethics
Environmental, social and governance factors, commonly known as ESG factors, have sparked debate in the pensions world for many years and given rise to much confusion.
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FeaturesHaringey to swap passive equities for multi-factor strategy
The London Borough of Haringey Pension Fund has agreed to convert nearly half of its equity allocation from a passive fund into a multi-factor global strategy. It has also recently trimmed an overweight position in equities into its multi-asset absolute return and credit strategies.
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Opinion
Pension funds are making good progress with ESG, says Brunel CEO
Pension funds are making good progress when it comes to responsible investment, according to the £29bn Brunel Pension Partnership’s chief executive Dawn Turner.
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Features
Strathclyde ups commitment to emerging market debt
The Strathclyde Pension Fund has nearly doubled its investment in emerging market debt as part of a drive to diversify its portfolio and participate in 'the growth story' of emerging economies.
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OpinionDoes the DC charge cap hinder value for money?
At first glance, the defined contribution charge cap seems an obvious benefit to pension savers. Of course it is, I hear you cry! It is the main way in which DC schemes actually deliver value. Lower costs equal better value. Job done.
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OpinionHow would extending the remit of IGCs to cover SRI boost outcomes?
The father of journalist and broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire taught her that when she made contributions to a pension, she was not saving but “spending” on her retirement.
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OpinionESG will drive pensions into the future
Investing in a pension and buying a new car are, in some ways, similar. You generally do not want to know too much about how it works, you just want it to give you the best mileage for your money.
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Opinion
Is ESG on course to become the norm in DC defaults?
Late last year the UK government said it was “minded” to make pension fund trustees produce environmental, social and governance statements.
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OpinionGreening, governance and growth in the age of popular empowerment
From the blog: Last year saw the unravelling of the prevailing order that had dominated the world economy since 1946, yet trustees feel empowered to flex their fiduciary muscles, if necessary going against their government's views.
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NewsSchemes told to be active owners to ensure long-term returns
Pension funds are becoming more active in exercising ownership to improve governance of investee companies, but there is still scope for investors to further integrate environmental, social and governance factors, a panel of experts from across Europe has said.
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Opinion
Is ESG on course to become the norm in DC defaults?
High profile corporate governance failures, campaigns against the use of plastics, and US pension funds criticised for holding gun manufacturers after the latest school shooting – a powerful combination of recent events has pushed environmental, social and governance investing further up the institutional agenda.
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Opinion
Keeping the grass greener
Climate change is not just damaging the planet, it could also have a detrimental effect on our members’ investments. This is because as we move towards a low carbon economy, companies that do not adapt are likely to fall in value.