June 2023
07Jun

US. DOL took thumb ‘off the scale’ in finalizing new ESG rule, official says

Despite mischaracterizations and political backlash, the Department of Labor's new rule permitting retirement plan fiduciaries to consider environmental, social and governance factors when selecting investments and exercising shareholder rights does not tip the balance in favor of ESG, a key department official said Tuesday. "The final rule that we put out, notwithstanding what you may have heard, doesn't require consideration of ESG, it doesn't mandate that every investment have an ESG score attached to it, it doesn't mandate that if...

June 7, 2023
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07Jun

U.K. pension funds slow to invest in biodiversity – report

U.K. pension funds are increasingly aware of biodiversity risks to their portfolios, but not many are investing in natural solutions, according to research from Pensions for Purpose released Monday. Commissioned by alternatives asset manager Gresham House, Pensions for Purpose asked 22 asset owners and investment consultants how much they incorporate biodiversity and natural capital in investment decisions. Participants included the £25 billion ($31 billion) National Employment Savings Trust, London, £35 billion Brunel Pension Partnership, Bristol, £15 billion London CIV, £35...

June 7, 2023
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06Jun

Top asset manager says pension fund clients are turning skittish on China — ‘There is a very real geopolitical risk’

APG's pension fund clients are more worried about investing in China, the Financial Times reported. That's as geopolitical risk has grown, with China increasingly at odds with the West. "There is a very real geopolitical risk that has been added to the proposition." Rising international tensions with Beijing are a serious factor in the worsening skepticism around Chinese investments, APG Asset Management told The Financial Times. One of the largest asset managers in the world, the firm is in charge of about $570...

June 6, 2023
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05Jun

California, New York pension funds vote against Toyota chairman

Two of the largest U.S. public pension funds have voted against the re-election of Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) Chairman Akio Toyoda, shareholder voting records showed, sharpening the focus on the automaker's annual meeting later this month. The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and the Office of the New York City Comptroller also voted for a resolution urging Toyota to improve disclosure of its lobbying on climate change, according to postings by the funds. Two leading proxy advisory firms last week...

June 5, 2023
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05Jun

Green and sustainable investing: why asset managers need clear ESG definitions to aid fund sales, quash greenwashing

A lack of globally consistent and clear definitions of what “green” and “sustainable” actually mean when it comes to projects and investment products has imposed extra burdens on asset managers struggling to meet compliance requirements, according to Fidelity’s head of sustainable investing. Insufficient regulation of environment, social and governance (ESG) data and ratings providers also heightens concerns about greenwashing, the act of making unsubstantiated sustainability claims. “If you are selling a fund as a green fund, that means very different things...

June 5, 2023
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02Jun

Aegon UK to invest £500m in climate solutions by 2026 in net zero push

Aegon UK has launched a climate action roadmap geared towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050, warning the time for "bold climate action" is now. Announced yesterday, the insurance, pensions and asset management firm's net zero target covers its core business as well as financed emissions for its workplace default pension funds. Aegon UK also promised to take "concrete short-term steps" to slash its emissions in half by 2030, which it said would "support making customers' investments more resilient to shocks". Crucially,...

June 2, 2023
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01Jun

Canadian pension fund CDPQ puts brakes on China investment – FT

Canada's second-largest pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) has stopped making private deals in China and will close its Shanghai office later this year, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. CDPQ is currently leading its regional investment efforts from Singapore, the report said, adding that it still has business interests in China. "We paused private investments for some time already — and have focused on liquid markets, which is the majority...

June 1, 2023
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May 2023
31May

South Korea’s NPS fund sticks to plan to boost overseas, alternative investments

South Korea's National Pension Service (NPS), manager of the world's third-largest public pension fund, will continue to gradually increase its target investment in overseas and alternative assets, the welfare ministry said. The NPS will invest 55% of its total assets in stocks, 30% in bonds and 15% in alternative assets by 2028, the ministry said in a statement released on Wednesday. Its five-year investment target ratios, decided by the representative panel that governs the fund's investment policies, remained the same as...

May 31, 2023
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30May

Industry Voice: Improving value in workplace DC pension schemes

A key component in value is offering properly diversified investments. If you compare the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and workplace DC schemes, both are funded UK occupational pension schemes with high numbers of active members but there is noticeable difference between their invested assets. Look at the range of funds offered by an LGPS pool such as Border to Coast and you will find both passive and active equity funds, corporate credit as well as a range of alternatives such...

May 30, 2023
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30May

Goldman Sachs’s China dealmaker stops tapping US investors

The head of Goldman Sachs’s private equity business in Asia has said she has stopped trying to raise money in the US because of geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing. Stephanie Hui, who runs the Asia-Pacific private and growth equity arm of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, with investments that include deals in China, made the comments at a private equity conference in Hong Kong on Tuesday. “I’ve been asked to do observations of what we’re seeing in the marketplace . . . [one is] the...

May 30, 2023
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