January 2026

Scaling Sustainable Investing in Emerging and Developing Economies: Frictions and Opportunities

By Caroline Flammer, Thomas Giroux & Geoffrey M. Heal Mobilizing private capital at scale is critical for financing sustainable development, particularly in emerging and developing economies (EMDEs), where capital is most needed. We conduct a global survey of senior investment decision-makers across a broad spectrum of capital providers, including asset managers, pension and sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, philanthropic investors, and others. The survey provides novel evidence on investors’ risk-return expectations, risk perceptions, and investment practices in EMDEs and...

Extinguishing ESG: US House Approves Prohibitive Bill for Pension Funds

A bill which would prohibit ESG factors being considered by pension fund managers and in pension plans has been narrowly approved by the US House of Representatives. The Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act – also referred to as HR 2988 – seeks to amend the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to specify requirements regarding the consideration of pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors. It proposes to add limitations on consideration of non-pecuniary factors by fiduciaries, including ESG factors,...

December 2025

UK. FCA unveils ESG ratings proposals; consultation launched

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled proposals to ensure that environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings are transparent, reliable and comparable, following the government's decision to bring ESG ratings within the regulator's remit for the first time. The reforms, which are expected to generate around £500m in net benefits over the next decade, form part of a new consultation launched by the FCA, which is open until 31 March 2026. According to the regulator, the decision to bring ESG ratings...

October 2025

Los planes de pensiones internacionales apuestan por la ESG y los alternativos

El 62% de los planes internacionales de pensiones ya incluye opciones ESG, reflejando un fuerte avance frente al 51% en 2019 Uno de cada cinco planes ofrece fondos Shariah, mientras crece el acceso a activos alternativos y herramientas digitales, ampliando las opciones para distintos perfiles y necesidades de los partícipes El 34% de los planes cuenta con comités de supervisión formal y el 77% invierte en soluciones digitales WTW, firma global de consultoría, correduría y soluciones, ha publicado su última Encuesta global sobre...

September 2025

We need to harness pensions to progress the SDGs and economic prosperity

A decade after their adoption, the UN Sustainable Development Goals still need trillions of dollars of investment. Ten years ago today, the UN Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by 193 states at the UN General Assembly in New York. Celebrities from Beyoncé to Stephen Hawking and Malala backed the launch. The then-US President Barack Obama called it a historic achievement. He also warned that emerging and developing nations, “don’t just want aid, they want trade. They want businesses. They want investment”. In...

UK. ESG as part of investment strategies

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations have become central to pension scheme investment strategies. As major institutional investors, pension schemes are at the forefront of an evolving regulatory and stakeholder landscape that demands both compliance and meaningful action. The ESG imperative for pension schemes ESG is no longer a ‘nice to have’ for schemes’ investment considerations. As the Pensions Regulator (TPR) has recently stated, awareness of and managing systemic risks is now a core part of effective trusteeship. It's a statutory...

August 2025

US. BlackRock decries ‘politicizing’ pension fund management

Top asset manager BlackRock (BLK.N), opens new tab on Wednesday pushed back against pressure from U.S. Republican and Democratic officials, saying both sides have injected politics into the running of retirement assets and it only seeks to fulfill its fiduciary duties to clients. The message isn't new but it came in an unusual memo the company sent to 43 state treasurers, auditors and other officials of both major political parties, seen by Reuters. In late July, 26 Republicans signed on to a letter, opens...

Dutch Central Bank strengthens nature risk rules for pension funds

The Dutch Central Bank (DNB) has revised its guide on managing climate and nature-related risks, originally introduced in 2023. The move follows growing concerns about the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss on the Dutch financial system, particularly pension funds and insurance companies. The updated guidance reflects DNB’s expectation that pension funds must identify and manage climate and nature risks effectively. It also introduces enhanced best practice recommendations, shaped through consultations with industry stakeholders such as Ortec Finance. As part of its...

UK. FCA Looks to Simplify Sustainability Reporting Requirements for Asset Managers, Insurers

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the UK’s conduct regulator for financial services firms and financial markets, announced plans to streamline and improve its sustainability reporting framework for asset managers, life insurers and pension providers, including examining how to simplify disclosure requirements and ease regulatory burdens on firms. The announcement follows a review carried out by the FCA of the results of climate reporting rules put in place by the regulator in 2021, which required asset managers, life insurers and FCA-regulated pension...

July 2025

México. Iniciativa para combatir riesgo climático en sistema de pensiones

Actualmente -acorde con un comunicado de la Corporación Financiera Internacional (IFC)-, las Afores en México administran más de 7.19 billones de pesos (aproximadamente USD$358 mil millones), lo que representa el 21% del Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) nacional. Gracias a las reformas y los incrementos salariales en México, se prevé que sus activos bajo gestión sigan creciendo, pudiendo alcanzar entre el 35% y el 40% del PIB para 2035. En este sentido, la IFC, miembro del Grupo Banco Mundial, junto con el CFA Institute y la Asociación Mexicana de Administradoras de Fondos para el Retiro (Amafore),...