October 2024
31Oct

US. State treasurer elections to impact pension funds, auto IRA programs and ESG

Though most attention is on the presidential race this election season, several state treasurer races could determine the future of pension funds and other retirement programs for Americans all over the country. Many of those vying for the office of state treasurer are focused on improving their states’ pension funds, while other candidates hold conflicting views over state auto IRA programs — programs that create a retirement plan for those whose employers don’t offer one. In a handful of states,...

October 31, 2024
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30Oct

‘Companies are not listening to us’: DC schemes’ net zero challenges

Progress towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is being hampered by some companies failing to engage with pension schemes or backtracking on previous commitments, according to research. A new report from the Defined Contribution Investment Forum (DCIF) has highlighted stewardship and engagement issues being faced by some of the country’s largest defined contribution (DC) master trusts. Katharina Lindmeier, senior responsible investment manager at Nest, told the DCIF that much of the “low hanging fruit has been plucked” as schemes...

October 30, 2024
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10Oct

Pension funds biggest investors in UK’s £10bn social impact investment market

Pension funds are the largest investors in the UK’s social impact investment market, according to the latest annual market sizing report from Better Society Capital (BSC). The report reveals that the sector grew to £10bn (€11.9bn) last year, marking a 7% increase compared to 2022. In 2023, investment by pension funds represented 21% of the country’s total social impact investment market, with most of their funds being directed towards social and affordable housing, according to BSC. Endowments and charities were the second biggest...

October 10, 2024
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09Oct

Korean public pension fund trailing peers on support for E&S votes, study finds

Korea’s National Pension System (NPS) is falling behind other large public pension funds on proxy voting, according to a study by local policy think tank the Economic Reform Research Institute (ERRI). With $818 billion in AUM, NPS is the second-largest pension fund in the world after Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund. However, analysts at ERRI said an inadequate voting policy on sustainability issues means the fund consistently ranks low among peers on support for global ESG proposals. The study compares NPS with six European,...

October 9, 2024
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04Oct

The Sustainable Investment Report 2024

By Dan Wills We are delighted to present the latest in our IFA Annual Report Series; The Sustainable Investment Report 2024. There are many facets of sustainability and companies are having to change their processes and behaviours to work towards our sustainable future. Researched and written by leading Compliance Consultant Tony Catt, this report is intended to provide a snapshot of the current situation and thinking from across the industry, in relation to the matter of sustainability in investment solutions. Get the report...

October 4, 2024
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01Oct

UK. Industry must work to improve communication on sustainable pensions

There is an “enormous amount of work” to do to improve communication with savers about sustainable pensions, Harmonics founder and CEO, John Dithfield, has argued. Speaking at a Good Money Week event yesterday (September 30), Dithfield discussed the complexities of sustainable pensions and how difficult it can be for savers to fully understand them. “What should savers look for in a pension? I think it is very difficult really,” he said. “The real problem for people is the complexity of understanding what’s...

October 1, 2024
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September 2024
25Sep

Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance unveils milestone emissions cuts

Institutional investors holding a combined $9.5 trillion of assets say they’ve slashed portfolio emissions at a rate that aligns them with the goal of limiting global warming to the critical threshold of 1.5C. The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance, whose signatories include Allianz and the $519.9 billion California Public Employees’ Retirement System, Sacramento, said in a statement on Sept. 25 that reduction in greenhouse gas emissions registered by its 88 members was at least 6% on average, annually, since 2018. At...

September 25, 2024
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23Sep

Sustainable Investing Pursuing Differentiated Paths

“Sustainable investing” has entered the financial lexicon. More investors have adopted it as the preferred term to describe their approach to incorporating the material impacts of environmental, social and governance factors on their investments. But with the proliferation of diverse sustainable approaches available today, it can mean different things to different participants in the institutional investment world. Thomas Kuh, head of ESG strategy at Morningstar Indexes, broadly defines sustainable investing “as an overarching category that includes climate, ESG and impact....

September 23, 2024
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20Sep

US. House passes anti-ESG package of bills

House Republicans passed two pieces of anti-ESG legislation in just as many days, culminating in what the party has dubbed “woke week.” The topic is essentially a continuation of the GOP’s long-running anti-ESG campaign, which last year featured a handful of hearings and numerous bills during “ESG month.” This week’s bills, which seek to undo rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Labor and others, stand virtually no chance of passage in the Senate or of getting President Joe...

September 20, 2024
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20Sep

Canada. PSP Investments’ green assets increased to $64.9BN in fiscal 2024: report

The Public Sector Pension Investment Board has $64.9 billion invested in green assets, compared to $48.9 billion in fiscal 2023, according to the investment organization’s latest sustainability report. It found in addition to green assets, PSP Investments has roughly $11.5 billion in transition assets, defined as investments that have committed to make a substantial contribution to the low-carbon transition through the establishment of public targets and disclosure. Among PSP Investments’ portfolio companies, reported Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions data...

September 20, 2024
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