July 2026
06Jul

Simplified asset manager sustainability reporting could hamper green investments

Asset manager reporting exemptions under the finalised ESRS could create a ‘significant blind spot’ for their sustainability performance Asset managers are the latest group to benefit from revisions to sustainability reporting requirements, as EU and UK regulators look to simplify disclosure frameworks. The European Commission has adopted its finalised sustainability reporting standards, which were revised under its first sustainability omnibus package. The new ESRS will reduce the number of mandatory data points by more than 60 per cent and the number of...

July 6, 2026
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02Jul

Danish fund cuts US exposure in fossil fuel investment revamp

Danish pension fund Sampension is set to exclude seven American upstream companies in a bid to revamp its fossil fuel investment plans. While company names were not disclosed, Sampension has said it will simultaneously maintain exposure to seven European majors – Aker BP, BP, Eni, Equinor, OMV, Repsol and Shell. Additional exclusions also apply to two undisclosed companies, one Chinese and another European. The fund says the war in Iran contributed to its decision. “As we see it, the Iran war...

July 2, 2026
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June 2026
30Jun

Heatwaves could ruin your pension, according to UK’s Pensions Professionals

Heatwaves are jeopardising retirement as extreme weather events threaten investment returns, the pensions industry has warned. Climate change is becoming a major risk for trillions of pounds in pension savings as increasingly unpredictable weather damages assets, disrupts supply chains and hits productivity, according to a report by the Society of Pension Professionals (SPP). Calum Cooper, the president of the SPP, said: "Put simply, you can't separate the future of pensions from the future of the economy. And you cannot separate the...

June 30, 2026
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May 2026
28May

Q&A with a portfolio manager – the evolution of impact investing

Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF)1 – the world’s biggest pension fund – has made impact investing a key focus, while several major pension funds in France2 publicly announced similar intentions in 2025. Five years ago, impact investing might have been confined to more of a niche within our client base. Today, many clients across different segments are actively looking to allocate capital to such strategies, to generate financial returns, while also addressing pressing societal challenges. As climate change, geopolitical instability and...

May 28, 2026
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15May

Analysis of climate risk reporting across UK pension schemes

By XPS Group 2025 has shown that climate change is no longer a distant risk. It's a force that's already shaping economies, societies and investment markets. While government policy remains fragmented, UK pension schemes remain exposed to the risks of worsening climate outcomes, and to opportunities that arise from a faster transition to a green economy. Our fourth annual Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) review examines how 49 UK pension schemes, representing £420bn in assets, are addressing climate change...

May 15, 2026
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15May

Private Climate Governance of Finance: “Net Zero” Prospects and Politics

By Cynthia A. Williams In 2021, as part of the COP26 climate negotiations in Glasgow, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (“GFANZ”) was announced. This Alliance of banks, asset managers, and insurance companies, among other financial institutions, with more than $130 trillion of assets under management when announced, was based on a pledge by the participating companies to work towards net-zero status in their businesses by 2050 or sooner. Led by former UK Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, who is now the U.N.’s Special Envoy...

May 15, 2026
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14May

Just two of the world’s top financial institutions have commitments to phase out fossil fuels

Only two of the world’s 400 largest financial institutions have ‘robust commitments’ in place to phase out fossil fuels, new analysis from the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) has found. According to the WBA’s Financial System Climate Assessment, around one third of the assessed firms have ‘initial signs of transition planning towards a low-carbon economy’, including setting metrics and targets to drive and monitor progress, or embedding transition planning within governance structures. However, just 26% were found to have transition plans that cover financed activities, rather than focusing...

May 14, 2026
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13May

The largest UK pension schemes are substantially ahead on climate action as smaller schemes risk falling further behind

88% of the largest schemes have a credible net zero implementation strategy compared to 61% on average for all schemes reviewed Almost all schemes with assets above £5bn now target net zero, compared with just over half of smaller peers, averaging 76% across all schemes. Average Implied Temperature Rise remains at 2.4°C, suggesting schemes are still exposed to assets misaligned with climate goals XPS Group, a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors,...

May 13, 2026
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April 2026
23Apr

Pension funds urged to account for climate risk in private assets

Ortec Finance has urged global pension funds to gauge the physical climate-related risks associated with holding private assets, which are typically less liquid and held for much longer than equities or bonds. "Investments made now into infrastructure or real estate typically have a 15-year plus time horizon, so these are highly likely to be affected by rising physical climate risks," Ortec Finance managing director for climate scenarios and sustainability Maurits van Joolingen said. Ortec Finance estimates private infrastructure assets in the...

April 23, 2026
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17Apr

Asia-Pacific Climate Report 2025: Unlocking Nature for Development

By Asian Development Bank Nature is a core economic asset in Asia and the Pacific, with around 75% of GDP directly or indirectly tied to nature through sectors like agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. Yet, nature remains largely invisible in economic planning. When ecosystems degrade, economies face higher health and disaster costs, reduced productivity, shrinking fiscal revenues, and weakened debt sustainability. The report highlights that ecosystem services—such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation—provide multiple benefits, underpinning food security, public health, livelihoods...

April 17, 2026
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