June 2022
03Jun

Pension funds lead the way on ESG in Africa

Discussion on attracting much-needed investment into Africa has generally focused on non-African sources: foreign firms, multilateral financial institutions and non-African institutional investors. Yet far greater attention is now being paid to investment funds based within the continent itself. As African pension and social security funds grow in size, they have the potential to support more African companies and projects. They can ensure that they maximise the benefits of this investment by building environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into their...

June 3, 2022
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03Jun

Canada. Pension plan sponsors uncertain about balancing ESG factors, fiduciary responsibilities: ACPM

Defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution pension plans are uncertain about how to incorporate environmental, social and governance issues into their investment processes in a way that’s consistent with fiduciary duties, according to a new white paper from the Association of Canadian Pension Management. “Sustainable investing, including ESG, is an area where some investment risks that have been acknowledged for decades are now becoming more acute (e.g., climate risk),” said the white paper. “How pension plans can, and should,...

June 3, 2022
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02Jun

Industry is ramping up ESG efforts but more still to do

It has been impossible to ignore the increasing focus on environmental, social and governance factors in financial management. Many individuals have held deep-seated principles regarding the environmental and social impacts of the financial services sector. However, the mainstream acceptance of ESG as a legitimate tool within financial institutions has been a relatively recent phenomenon. Indeed, then-UN secretary general Kofi Annan sparked the initial ESG flame in 2004. Annan wrote to more than 50 chief executives of major financial institutions, inviting them...

June 2, 2022
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01Jun

The Rise Of Green Pension Funds

This marks another milestone in the pressure to be ‘green’ when investing. Scheme members are already expecting to see a responsible investment approach from their managers, adding to the pressure for trustees to produce a coherent and measured sustainability strategy. These disclosures will further fuel a movement towards responsible pension investing. In July 2021, pensions minister Guy Opperman described climate change in no uncertain terms, as a “major systemic financial risk and threat to the long-term sustainability of UK private...

June 1, 2022
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May 2022
31May

UK. 17 further organisations pledge to align with MMMM’s Green Pensions Charter

Seventeen organisations, including British Red Cross, Green School Projects and Citizens UK, have signed up to Make My Money Matter’s (MMMM) Green Pensions Charter, bringing the total number of signatories pledging to align their company pension schemes with net-zero targets to 100. The new signatories are a broad mix of UK companies and charities including Abel&Cole, Bates Wells, Living Wage Foundation, TrustPayments, DoNation, The Climate Coalition, Positive Planet, CH&Co, Zero Bees, Moyu, Turning Trusts, TXImpact, Eco-nnect, and Homethings. Read also Industry...

May 31, 2022
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31May

Sustainable Investing Slowly Taking Root at Central Banks

A new report says central banks are increasingly looking to align their operations with sustainability objectives within the constraints of their mandates. Central banks are increasingly aligning their pensions and portfolios to sustainable outcomes, according to a recent report published by INSPIRE, the International Network for Sustainable Financial Policy Insights, Research and Exchange. Alongside their financial stability remits, central banks are increasingly managing sustainability-related risks and aligning their activities with wider government commitments including net zero targets. The report highlighted eight key...

May 31, 2022
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25May

La Dimensión Social de la Inversión Sostenible

Por Spainsif La inversión sostenible supuso en España un total de 285.454 millones de euros en 2019. Este tipo de inversión se materializa a través de la aplicación de diferentes estrategias como la exclusión simple, que elimina del universo de inversión actividades controvertidas, la exclusión en base a normas internacionales, la selección positiva de las entidades con mejor desempeño o best in class, y la integración, entre otras. Aunque tradicionalmente la parte ambiental ha supuesto la mayor ratio de la...

May 25, 2022
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24May

UK. Pensions watchdog warns about climate risk in rebuke of HSBC banker who downplayed danger

UK pension schemes should not ignore climate change, a senior executive at The Pensions Regulator said on Monday, the first watchdog to weigh in after a top HSBC banker was suspended after playing down the financial risks of climate change. Regulators across the world have been putting pressure on the financial services industry to take climate change into account when calculating risks to their business models. Stuart Kirk, a senior HSBC banker in charge of sustainable investments, had said at an...

May 24, 2022
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24May

Why ESG reporting needs to balance ‘purpose with profit’ for real impact

ESG investing is increasingly viewed as a lever for delivering value in a turbulent world. But there is a lack of transparency around reporting and companies aren't obliged to change their business practices. Companies need to go well beyond environmental regulatory requirements and drive social impact. The flow of capital towards ESG (environmental, social and governance) oriented funds has rapidly moved from a trickle to a deluge. In the third quarter of 2021 global sustainable funds hit a record high...

May 24, 2022
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23May

U.K. pools gaining critical mass, and investment choices

U.K. investment pools formed seven years ago to streamline the investment process for local government pension funds are now building up sizable assets, as well as facing challenges that range from diversification to climate change reporting. Local government pension schemes, or LGPS, "are still moving funds and the pools are still building up asset classes," said Colin Cartwright, an Aon PLC partner in London who consults with both LGPS and corporate clients. He expects to see more funds transferred into...

May 23, 2022
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