June 2025

PensionsEurope and EFAMA warn against slashing sustainability rules

PensionsEurope has urged EU lawmakers not to weaken the bloc’s sustainability reporting rules, and to pause a review of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) until there is clarity on the future of the green taxonomy. The trade association today published its official position on the EU’s ‘omnibus package’, which seeks to cut back Europe’s sustainability disclosure and due diligence requirements to make them more business friendly. While PensionsEurope agreed that current reporting obligations are too burdensome, it warned that some of...

April 2025

The role of CEOs in the sustainability of defined benefit pension plans

By Joanne Horton, Paraskevi Vicky Kiosse, Maria Koumenta & Evisa Mitrou The future of defined benefit (DB) pensions is a hotly debated topic in reward management. Drawing on agency and managerial power theories, the conditions under which CEOs can affect their sustainability have been examined. We show that when the CEO is a member of the same DB plan as their employees or when the CEO is both a member and a trustee of the plan, this affects the agency and power...

UK. Why pension schemes should not overlook SDR

The FCA’s Sustainability Disclosure Regulations (SDR) might be voluntary for institutional investors, but the new rules have arrived at a crucial moment. Pension schemes are under increasing pressure to invest in a way that supports the transition to a more sustainable economy, while continuing to maximise members’ financial outcomes. Could understanding potential implications of the regime help them navigate the evolving sustainable investment landscape while meeting their fiduciary duties? Let’s first consider the facts. One of the key components of...

UK. ESG round-up: Brunel faces government pressure to merge or disband

UK sustainable investment leader Brunel Pension Partnership may be forced to merge with another pool or disband after the government rejected the pool’s plans to comply with new requirements under the aim to drive consolidation of local government pension assets. The government had asked pools to submit plans to comply with new requirements on management and structure but has rejected those submitted by Brunel and another pool, ACCESS, meaning they will be forced to explore merger options. The pair...

Adding the impact investing dimension to Luxembourg’s sustainable finance

“We were set up with the mission of helping the financial sector transition towards sustainability,” says Nicoletta Centofanti, CEO of the Luxembourg Sustainable Finance Initiative (LSFI) who opens our conversation explaining the origins of the organisation, which with the support of its Impact Investing Advisory Board (IIAB), became a national partner of GSG Impact in December last year. “We are a centre of excellence and knowledge hub on sustainable finance and aim to unlock the sector’s potential, channel more capital...

UK government urged to amend pension rules to support sustainable growth

Lack of clarity over fiduciary duty and a heavy sustainability reporting burden are key issues for the pensions industry, says UKSIF At a glance The UK government is planning an overhaul of the investment rules regulating the pensions sector in attempt to spur growth and stimulate investment in UK assets Simplifying sustainability rules should be part of the reform agenda, with a greater focus on transition planning rather than lengthy disclosures, says UKSIF The fiduciary duty of pension trustees with regards to climate...

London Pensions Fund Commits £250 Million to Ambitious New Green Investment Drive

In a strategic move that underscores its accelerating push toward net zero, the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA) has pledged 3% of its £8 billion portfolio—approximately £250 million—toward investments in environmental solutions. This allocation will seed a newly launched private markets fund to support global decarbonisation efforts through climate-aligned assets. But this isn’t just a one-off gesture. It’s part of a much broader financial and philosophical commitment. The LPFA doesn't manage its assets in isolation. Its investments are pooled with those...

ESG KPI report 2025. Managing what you measure

By Invest Europe Tackling climate change and standing strong on responsible investment themes, such as diversity and zero tolerance to corruption, are among the greatest challenges – and responsibilities – facing the European private equity industry today. These considerations are not only at the forefront of policymakers’ and investors’ minds, but also ever more central to consumers when they decide how to spend their money. We are firm believers in the saying that you cannot manage what you don’t measure. With...

ESG investing: a global investor survey

By AXA Investment Managers We are committed to responsible investing and supporting the transition to sustainable economies. As long-term custodians of wealth, we strive to identify and back environmental, social and governance (ESG) leaders that can protect and grow client portfolios. In doing so, we believe that understanding customer perspectives is paramount, which is why we carried out this extensive study on individual views toward ESG investing across various markets, regions, and demographics.   Get the report here

March 2025

US. Pension Funds Push Forward on Climate Goals Despite Backlash

In the past few months, some of the largest banks and asset managers in the United States have quit net zero networks, the climate groups that encourage their members to set ambitious carbon reduction targets and collaborate internationally on sustainability efforts. But the week after Donald J. Trump won re-election in November, NYCERS, a pension fund for New York City employees, went in the opposite direction. It joined a United Nations-affiliated climate action group for long-term investors, the Net Zero Asset...