March 2019

06Mar

Dutch fund commits to member preferences

One courageous pension fund is letting its members put their money where their mouth is. The Pensioenfonds Detailhandel has surveyed its members about their sustainability preferences and is actually making investment decisions based on the results of the survey. In June 2018, active members of the €23 billion fund for retail workers in the Netherlands were invited to participate in an online survey run by academics at Maastricht University. Respondents were asked to decide on the sustainable investment strategy...

March 6, 2019
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01Mar

Norway’s pension fund sell stake in 60 firms including palm oil over deforestation

Norway's $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, has pulled out of more than 33 palm oil companies over deforestation risks during the last seven years, a green group said on Thursday. Norway's Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), which released its annual report on Wednesday, sold stakes in more than 60 companies due to deforestation - including 33 firms involved in palm oil - Rainforest Foundation Norway said. "It's great to see that the GPFG is taking action...

March 1, 2019
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September 2018

06Sep

What are the retirement ages around the world?

Retirement ages, or the age when some sort of government pension can be received, varies around the world. The OECD average for a normal pension age is currently 64.3 years for men and 63.7 years for women. While life expectancy has risen in many countries and governments grapple with ageing populations, any attempts to make people wait longer to collect benefits are usually met with fierce opposition, as Russia and Australia found out recently. Read more sbs

September 6, 2018
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November 2017

22Nov

Funds managing $670 billion react to Norway oil “revolution”

Asset management in the Nordic region is dominated by Norway’s $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, which last week said it wants to exit all its oil and gas stocks. Bloomberg spoke with institutional investing heads in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland who together help manage a total of $670 billion, to hear their reactions. Here’s what they said: Seminal Moment Norway’s wealth fund “is clearly indicating that this is a completely new ball game,” said Sasja Beslik, head of group sustainable finance,...

November 22, 2017
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17Nov

Norway’s $1 trillion pension fund wants out of oil stocks

Norway used oil revenue to build its national pension fund into a $1 trillion behemoth. Now, the fund is planning to dump oil and gas stocks. The fund's managers recommended Thursday that oil and gas investments worth roughly $37 billion be sold in order to protect the country against a permanent drop in energy prices. "This advice is based exclusively on financial arguments and analyses of the government's total oil and gas exposure," said fund manager Egil Matsen. Matsen said...

November 17, 2017
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September 2017

06Sep

Norway pension fund plans big changes for bond portfolio

Norway’s US$990bn sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, plans radical changes to its fixed income portfolio by cutting corporate and emerging market bonds from the benchmark index it uses, and shortening maturities. If approved by Norway’s finance ministry, the changes will leave only government bonds in US dollars, euros and British pounds as part of the benchmark, compared with 23 currencies currently. The fund said they are the three most liquid currencies. Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the fund on...

September 6, 2017
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March 2017

29Mar

Norwegian Pension Fund Boycotts Dakota Access Pipeline Companies

Kommunal Landspensjonskasse (KLP), a $70.5 billion Norwegian pension fund, is divesting a combined $68.4 million from Phillips 66, Enbridge, Marathon Petroleum, and Energy Transfer Partners, calling the companies’ involvement with the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) “an unacceptable risk of contributing to serious or systematic human rights violations.” The nearly 1,200-mile long pipeline was built to transport oil through North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. It has drawn heavy opposition over a potential risk of water contamination at the Lake...

March 29, 2017
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