May 2021
06May

Almost half of Swiss workers choose early retirement

On Tuesday, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported External linkthat in 2019 between 40-50% of people started receiving their pension from their so-called second pillar before the legal retirement age - 65 for men and 64 for women. Men tend to make this choice more than women – 46% compared to 40%, respectively. The Swiss pension system is complex, and is based on three so-called pillars: old-age and survivors’ insurance (known as the AVS), occupational pension planning (often referred to as...

May 6, 2021
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06May

US birth rate falls 4% to its lowest point ever

The American birth rate fell for the sixth consecutive year in 2020, with the lowest number of babies born since 1979, according to a new report. Some 3.6 million babies were born in the US in 2020 - marking a 4% decline from the year before, found the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics. The slump was seen across all recorded ethnicities and origins, according to the findings. The national picture mirrors a decline in...

May 6, 2021
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06May

Germany hatches plan to attract green investment capital

The German government is planning a new green financing strategy to steer capital towards environmental projects and developing Germany into a leading hub for sustainable finance, plans seen by Reuters show. The so-called Sustainable Finance Strategy plan lists 26 individual measures and is due to be adopted by the cabinet on Wednesday with a view to mobilising investment for climate protection projects. "The federal government wants to develop Germany into a leading location for sustainable finance," states the plan, which is...

May 6, 2021
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05May

UK. Pension funds urged to help UK reach net zero climate goals

Pension funds must set a target of net zero emissions for their investments if the UK is to meet its climate goals, influential figures in climate activism have urged. Many people are unaware of whether their pensions funds are invested in fossil fuels or high-carbon activities, and even companies that have publicly committed to reaching net zero emissions may have pension fund investments that are still wedded to high-carbon businesses. As the UK prepares to host the UN climate talks Cop26...

May 5, 2021
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05May

Canadian pension officials hailed as climate champions

Two Canadian pension fund officials were hailed Tuesday by the British High Commission and the Canada Climate Law Initiative as Canadian climate champions for their efforts to move Canada to net-zero emissions. The list of 26 champions includes Barbara Zvan, the inaugural president and CEO of the University Pension Plan, Ontario, and Kim Thomassin, executive vice president and head of investments in Quebec and stewardship investing for the Caisse de Depot et de Placement du Quebec. Last July, Ms. Zvan was...

May 5, 2021
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05May

BBC Africa Eye uncovers grand corruption in Nigeria’s pension pot

A new investigation by BBC Africa Eye into pensions in Nigeria has uncovered an unfair and corrupt system which leaves some elderly people sick and penniless, with government workers soliciting extra payments before paying out pensions, people arbitrarily being declared ‘dead’ and having to prove they are alive before their pension is reinstated, and politicians being offered outrageous retirement packages. The five month investigation began when Africa eye was approached by Obaji Akpet – a reporter / producer from Cross...

May 5, 2021
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04May

Union Demands CPPIB Ditch Brazil Water Privatization Involvement

Canada’s largest union is demanding that the $387.1 billion Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) abandon its investment in a private water and sewage treatment service provider in Brazil. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said CPPIB is taking part in a “risky” sell-off of public water and sewage infrastructure being led by controversial President Jair Bolsonaro. “The involvement of the CPPIB in support of Bolsonaro’s privatization program would serve to legitimize his disregard for the needs of the...

May 4, 2021
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04May

Pension changes for South Africa under the spotlight

Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance has invited interested parties to submit written submissions on the Pensions Funds Amendment Bill. Introduced by the opposition Democratic Alliance, the bill aims to amend the Pension Funds Act to allow pension fund members to access a portion of their fund before retirement as a guarantee for a loan. The DA has described the draft bill as crucial in the fight for ‘people power over state power’ in South Africa. “Individuals should be free to choose, in...

May 4, 2021
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04May

Surging Stocks Improve Pension Funding Levels, But De-Risking Isn’t at Risk

A strong stock market delivered the goods and then some for pension funding levels, both public and corporate, in the first quarter. But don’t expect companies to pull back from their campaign to shift into safer (if low-paying) bonds from stocks. That’s the conclusion from JPMorgan’s global market strategy team, which noted in a report that this development didn’t mean that corporate plans would ease up on their de-risking—that is, moving into bonds from stocks. Reason: Company defined benefit (DB)...

May 4, 2021
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03May

How One of Canada’s Largest Pension Funds Is Incorporating ESG in Its Portfolio

As allocators and fund managers alike scramble to incorporate diversity and climate change into their strategies, one of Canada’s largest asset owners has released its latest report on how, exactly, a C$365.5 billion pension fund does it. The Stewardship Report, released Wednesday by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (known colloquially as CPDQ), details the fund’s 2020 efforts toward sustainability and diversity. In the report, CPDQ said it is tying employees’ variable compensation to the achievement of certain climate targets...

May 3, 2021
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