All social impact investment articles – Page 2
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PodcastsPodcast: DC focus must ‘fundamentally shift’ from costs to value in 2022
Podcast: The focus on defined contribution scheme offerings must “fundamentally shift” from costs to value for money in 2022 if better outcomes are to be achieved. Darren Philp, director of policy and communication at Smart Pension, and Mike Ambery, partner at Hymans Robertson, discuss the DC outlook, expanding auto-enrolment, and reforming Solvency II.
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NewsLGPS seeks UN clarity on Israel investment comments
On the go: The Local Government Pension Committee and the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum are to arrange a call with UN special rapporteur Michael Lynk, seeking clarity over his comments on investments in contested Israeli settlements.
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NewsConservative peer calls for sustainable investing tax breaks
On the go: A conservative peer has called on the government to introduce a swathe of tax breaks and initiatives to encourage sustainable investing.
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NewsSolvency II reform could unlock ‘tens of billions’ in investments
On the go: The reform of the EU’s Solvency II requirements would unlock a “Brexit bonus” amounting to “tens of billions” of pounds in long-term infrastructure investment, according to a new report from the Pension Insurance Corporation.
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NewsNest and UBS divest from ‘unresponsive’ energy companies
On the go: Asset manager UBS has jettisoned “unresponsive” energy companies from its suite of climate-aware funds, including one it manages on behalf of Nest.
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NewsWho should be changing fast fashion?
Fast-fashion brands have been embroiled in scandals, but investor initiatives and trustee engagement are telling labels that being green is in this season.
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NewsSocial benefits a deciding factor in real estate investment allocations
On the go: More than half of scheme professionals believe institutional investors are planning to increase their allocations to real estate vehicles that provide social benefits over the next two years, according to new research.
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NewsInvestors facing up to the social costs of fast fashion
Fast fashion is big business but often negatively associated with workers’ rights issues. Can interested investors successfully ensure they are not contributing to poor working conditions?
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NewsMillennials favour sustainable pension investments
On the go: Six in 10 millennials (60 per cent) want their pension investments to be both environmentally and socially sustainable, research from Cushon has found.
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NewsIs social policy essential for schemes to promote change?
Integrating environmental, social and governance credentials into pensions has become increasingly common, yet deciding whether schemes should adopt a specific policy on social matters has become a point of contention.
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FeaturesUN goals can act as guide for schemes making societal impact
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals list 17 ambitions to improve the lives of people globally, spanning matters of poverty, equality, environmentalism and health. Much of the focus of the SDGs is on the developing world, yet lessons can be taken from the ambitions and used to improve the lives of people in the UK.
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FeaturesOne in three schemes set climate risk reduction targets
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with an ACA survey finding that a third of pension schemes have already set targets to reduce climate risk, and asset management fees falling in some ESG and impact strategy types.
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FeaturesWhy the ‘S’ in ESG matters and how schemes can better understand it
The ‘social’ aspect of environmental, social and governance investments can be hard to quantify, but is crucial for pension schemes to get to grips with to meet their requirements in this area. Fortunately, there is help for investors to make the most of ‘S’ and spot long-term opportunities.
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NewsESG factors more important to investors than financial metrics
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including a survey showing institutional investors believe ESG is more important than financial metrics when it comes to evaluating a company’s long-term attractiveness, and more signatories to the Make My Money Matter charter.
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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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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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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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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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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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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.