Investment Archives - Page 67 of 143 - Pension Policy International

13AprApril 13, 2023

UK. Government body calls on London pension fund to divest fossil fuel holdings

Transport for London Pension Fund, London, should divest its holdings in fossil fuel companies and develop an annual report on performance against net-zero targets, according to calls by a London governmental body. The Greater London Authority committee, which oversees the London Pensions Fund Authority and TfL Pension Fund, launched an investigation as part of a review into its pension funds' investments and costs. The pension funds had about £22 billion ($27.1 billion) in combined assets as of March 31, 2022. In...

April 13, 2023

NewsClimate crisis, ESG, Investment, UK

12AprApril 12, 2023

China. Personal pension system holds room for more development

China's latest attempt at launching a personal pension system will result in the leapfrogging development of securities firms both in terms of additional income and business models, said experts. In mid-April 2022, the State Council, China's Cabinet, rolled out a plan to introduce the personal pension system. Thereafter, the multilayered system has begun to develop in China, comprising basic pension insurance, annuities and personal pensions. The plan officially kicked off in late November, with people in 36 Chinese cities and regions...

April 12, 2023

NewsChina, Investment, Pension design

11AprApril 11, 2023

US. Does ESG Matter in Public Finance? It Depends

In case you’ve tuned it out, there’s a battle underway between proponents of “sustainability” analysis of corporate business practices and those who favor “drill, baby, drill” and “anti-woke” free market profitability metrics and political slogans. The debate worked its way up to Capitol Hill, where Congress passed and President Biden vetoed a bill to stifle retirement account fiduciaries’ consideration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their funds’ investments. At the state level, meanwhile, a number of oil-rich states...

April 11, 2023

NewsESG, Investment, Pension Management

05AprApril 5, 2023

$2 Billion Loss at Sweden’s Pension Fund Has Stocks Chief Put on Leave

Sweden’s biggest pension fund Alecta has put its equities chief on leave and announced a plan to reduce risk exposure after reporting $2 billion in investment losses tied to last month’s US banking crisis. On Tuesday, Alecta said it would scale back large stakes in companies far from its home market and named Ann Grevelius as acting head of equity portfolio management. Liselott Ledin, the equities chief responsible for making Alecta one of the largest shareholders in Silicon Valley Bank...

April 5, 2023

NewsInvestment, Pension Management, Sweden

04AprApril 4, 2023

Modern slavery audits in supply chains subpar for investors

Institutional investors have become more aware of the risks of modern slavery in their portfolio companies’ supply chains, but detecting labor issues is an uphill battle as companies chase profits and the industry lacks skills to detect labor issues. In emerging Asia, where the bulk of supply chain companies are located, regulations are not yet at a level where they’re an effective deterrent, sources said. According to the United Nations, modern slavery refers to “situations of exploitation that a person cannot...

April 4, 2023

NewsCorporate Governance, Investment

03AprApril 3, 2023

‘Pensions have done more than most for ESG but it’s time for more action’

If the recent Treasury sub-committee on financial services regulations ("Greenwashing: sustainability disclosure requirements") is anything to go by, there remain far too many people in and around financial services who think we are doing a good job addressing sustainability challenges. We are not. Clients are confused, and despite pockets of excellence, sustainability challenges are getting worse not better. And neither of these will be addressed by investors sidelining real world problems or inciting ambulance chasing. Conflating welcome mass-market improvements, like entry level...

April 3, 2023

NewsESG, Investment, Pension Management

31MarMarch 31, 2023

Sustainable Investment: Best Practice Disclosure Checklist for Pension Funds

By World Bank Group There are compelling reasons for asset owners – in particular large pension funds and sovereign wealth funds – to adopt sustainable investment, and for governments to support them in these endeavours. First, asset owners have a key role to play in providing the capital that supports national economic and development goals. Second, sustainability issues – for example, climate change, labour rights, public health – are important drivers of investment value. Third, asset owners play a key...

March 31, 2023

Books, Books, Pension Management202, Climate Change, ESG, Investment, Sustainability

31MarMarch 31, 2023

ESG and Climate Change: Pension Fund Dos and Don’ts

By Randy Bauslaugh Pension fund administrators have a fiduciary duty to prudently manage financial risks and opportunities when investing plan assets and when managing plan operations that are paid from the pension fund. This includes the financial risks and opportunities associated with climate change and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. But what are the legal dos and don’ts? Plan fiduciaries will always be on solid legal ground if they take ESG information into account for financial purposes – to...

March 31, 2023

Articles, Pension Management, Savings2023, Corporate Governance, ESG, Investment

31MarMarch 31, 2023

BlackRock calls on clients to rethink hedging strategy after UK pension crisis

BlackRock's liability-driven investment business is urging some smaller UK pension fund clients to stop splitting assets across multiple managers, as it tries to cut the complexity and risks of a strategy that imploded last year. Asset managers worry new rules to make LDI investing more robust could render the strategy unviable for some schemes, but consultants warn BlackRock's push could repel pension clients who want to minimise concentration risk. LDI, a hedging strategy used by thousands of schemes to ensure their...

March 31, 2023

NewsInvestment, Pension Management

29MarMarch 29, 2023

Canada to Ask Pension Funds to Disclose Crypto Exposure

Canada's national government said federally regulated pension funds in the country will need to disclose their crypto assets exposure to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), as Ottawa tightens its regulatory oversight on the volatile industry. "To help protect Canadians’ retirements, Budget 2023 announces that the government will require federally regulated pension funds to disclose their crypto-asset exposures to OSFI," the government said in the new 2023 budget plan. The federal government will also work with provinces...

March 29, 2023

NewsCanada, Cryptocurrencies, Investment

April 2023

UK. Government body calls on London pension fund to divest fossil fuel holdings

China. Personal pension system holds room for more development

US. Does ESG Matter in Public Finance? It Depends

$2 Billion Loss at Sweden’s Pension Fund Has Stocks Chief Put on Leave

Modern slavery audits in supply chains subpar for investors

‘Pensions have done more than most for ESG but it’s time for more action’

March 2023

Sustainable Investment: Best Practice Disclosure Checklist for Pension Funds

ESG and Climate Change: Pension Fund Dos and Don’ts

BlackRock calls on clients to rethink hedging strategy after UK pension crisis

Canada to Ask Pension Funds to Disclose Crypto Exposure