October 2022

How Sustainable Investing Can Impact Climate Change

Zach Stein, co-founder and CEO of Carbon Collective, a climate change-focused online investment advisor, talks about the three ways sustainable investing can make a positive impact on climate change, as well as the trends shaping the climate tech space. Stein also shares what more investment in climate-focused companies will lead to and the top companies investors may want to keep an eye on. What is the most important issue facing the world today? Climate change is the single most...

US. N.J. pension fund would stop investing in fossil fuels under bill moved Thursday

The movement to divest pension funds from fossil fuel companies is gaining steam in New Jersey after lawmakers advanced a long-stalled bill Thursday. "What's proposed here is sending a signal to the fossil fuel world and industry that we've gotta find different ways to live - and you, the companies that produce these fuels, you've got to help us," said Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex), a prime sponsor of the bill and chair of the Senate Energy Committee. The measure (S416) would...

August 2022

ESG and Private Market Assets: UK, EU, and Australian Investors Shifting the Trillions (2022 – 2026)

By M. Nicolas J. Firzli, Nick Sherry & Guan Seng Khoo The co-authors of the article, are amongst the original coiners of term such as “infrastructure as an asset class” and “pension superpowers.” They also predicted, at the onset of the Covid Crisis, that a “historic realignment on the asset allocation front is happening precisely at the moment when ESG is moving centre stage: even in once staunchly neoliberal jurisdictions like Texas, Alaska or Switzerland, the smart money is betting on...

GOP Fury Over ESG Triggers Backlash With US Pensions at Risk

Investment professionals are warning that a Republican campaign seeking to wipe ESG off the financial map puts at risk the savings of ordinary Americans caught in the political crossfire. Read also United States: ESG And Political Climate Changes Environmental, social and governance investing is now under attack in the world's largest economy. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this week banned state pension funds from screening for ESG risks. Texas is seeking to isolate financial firms it says are hostile toward the fossil-fuel...

Florida State Board bans ESG considerations in managing pension plan

Florida State Board of Administration, Tallahassee, passed a resolution Tuesday that all decisions related to the investment management of the Florida Retirement System will not include ESG considerations. The trustees of the board, which oversees a total of $240.1 billion, including the $189.7 billion Florida Retirement System, are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Attorney General Ashley Moody. A news release from Mr. DeSantis' office said the trustees passed the resolution to update the fiduciary duties...

Central Bank of Ireland launches climate change risk guidance for insurance sector

The Central Bank of Ireland has commenced a public consultation on proposals to introduce guidance on climate change risks for the insurance sector. The proposed guidance aims to clarify the Central Bank’s expectations on how (re)insurers address climate change risks in their business and to assist them in developing their governance and risk management frameworks to do this. The Central Bank has said that the increased frequency and severity of weather-related events linked to climate change are already having an impact...

Green bonds poised for revival after shaky start to 2022 — report

Green bond issuance got off to a shaky start in 2022, but picked up in the second quarter, according to data from the Climate Bonds Initiative published on Thursday . The investor-focused non-profit organization promotes large-scale investment in the low-carbon economy. It screens self-labeled green bonds, including green, social, sustainability, sustainability-linked and transition labeled debt. In the first half of 2022, issuance of bonds aligned with international climate targets reached a combined volume of $417.8 billion, a 27% drop from the...

July 2022

Impact Investing: Measuring Social and Financial Returns

Although the field of impact investing has experienced astounding growth over the past decade, there remain concerns about its ability to generate both outsized financial and social returns. Can investors achieve their desired social or environmental impact without sacrificing their financial goals? What are the differences between ESG, sustainable investing, and impact investing? How do investors evaluate impact? To better understand what an effective impact investing strategy might look like, SSIR publisher Michael Gordon Voss speaks with Juliette Menga,...

Canada. Pensions need to up their climate-risk management game

As the United Kingdom sweats under record-high temperatures, pension fund managers on this side of the pond are being warned about their net-zero targets. Pension fund administrators should continue to adopt net-zero emissions targets for 2050, and have their targets vetted through third-party certification standards — such as the Science-Based Target initiative or Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net-Zero — according to Building Climate Resilience in Canada’s Pension Funds, a report released by the Smart Prosperity Institute on Wednesday. The institute...

New guide to help pension funds tackle global deforestation

A new interactive guide to provide pension funds with the tools they need to ensure their investments are not driving deforestation across the globe is launched today by Global Canopy, Make My Money Matter and SYSTEMIQ. This year, research revealed that £2 in every £10 individuals save into their pensions in the UK is linked to companies and financial institutions at high risk of deforestation, jeopardising many schemes’ ambitious commitments to achieve net zero.. How to achieve deforestation-free pensions provides practical...