September 2025
04Sep

Dutch fund PFZW reduces BlackRock ties over clash on sustainability

Dutch pension fund PFZW has stopped investing in stock funds managed by BlackRock, in part because of concerns over the U.S. firm's voting record on sustainability issues, its lead asset manager PGGM said on Wednesday. The move comes amid a wider activist campaign in the Netherlands to push the country's large pension schemes to drop managers that have reduced support for climate change-linked resolutions at company meetings. While some companies have scaled back the importance they attach to sustainability since the...

September 4, 2025
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August 2025
22Aug

IORPs in Focus Report 2024

By European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority This report outlines the latest market developments in the occupational pensions sector, with a focus on IORPs and their cross-border arrangements. A factsheet summarizing the key findings accompanies the publication, providing a visual overview of the main trends in Europe's IORP sector for interested readers. Get the report here

August 22, 2025
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19Aug

UK. Time for a course correction: How pension sustainability reporting must evolve

In June, the Department for Work and Pensions launched a consultation on UK sustainability reporting standards and corporate disclosure requirements – adding it would also consider whether to update the current rules for pension schemes. In this article, Tegs Harding takes a look at the current TCFD framework and asks how it could be improved. There's no doubt that the introduction of the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) regime was a milestone; It pushed climate risk onto trustee agendas...

August 19, 2025
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01Aug

Enhancing Financial Regulation of Green Infrastructure Investment

By Andreas (Andy) Jobst The paper examines the critical need for enhanced financial regulation to support green infrastructure investment as climate action becomes increasingly pressing. It points out that infrastructure is responsible for more than two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions and that climate-related disasters lead to annual losses of nearly one percent of GDP, with poorer countries being disproportionately affected. Green infrastructure plays a crucial role in reducing carbon footprints through renewable energy and low-emission transport, as well as...

August 1, 2025
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July 2025
25Jul

Greener Pensions, Greener Choices: Linking Investments to Sustainable Behavior

By Olga Balakina, Charlotte Christiansen & Malene Kallestrup Lamb This paper examines how offering sustainable investment options influences sustainable consumption behavior. We combine a natural experiment in which individuals receive an option to switch to a pension plan with a strong sustainability profile with detailed household register data. This sustainable option improves sustainable consumption, as reflected in electric vehicle adoption and reduced vehicle emissions. The effect is primarily driven by individuals who do not choose the sustainable plan. We show that...

July 25, 2025
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25Jul

Sustainable funds see global recovery, driven by European investors

Global sustainable funds have made a comeback, marking a notable improvement from the outflows seen in the previous quarter, according to data published today. The latest global figures published by Morningstar show that global ESG funds recorded an estimated net $4.9bn (€4.16bn) in the second quarter of 2025. This recovery was driven by European investors, with ESG funds drawing $8.6bn of net inflows over the past three months, after redeeming $7.3bn in the prior quarter, the firm said. This rebound comes after...

July 25, 2025
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22Jul

Dutch pension fund PME on ensuring alignment with asset managers

It is safe to say that asset owners are increasingly scrutinising how their managers are approaching sustainability. And PME, the Dutch pension fund for those in the metal and technology sector, is at the forefront of these efforts. The €59 billion asset owner is in the process of revising its approach to selecting and assessing managers to ensure the ones they use are delivering on its return expectations and are aligned with its values. Daan SpaargarenEvaluating managers on ESG is not new, notes...

July 22, 2025
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02Jul

ESG round-up: Investors call for EU to preserve key parts of sustainable finance rules

More than 80 investors and financial institutions have called on the EU to preserve the core of the EU Sustainable Finance Framework. Key European investors supporting the statement include Allianz SE, First Sentier Investors, La Banque Postale AM, Nordea, PKA and Storebrand AM. The signatories stated that regulatory simplification can be achieved without compromising on the substance of sustainability rules or their significant benefits for businesses across the EU. They have recommended that the European Sustainability Reporting Standards – which...

July 2, 2025
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June 2025
27Jun

UK. Govt confirms plans to review pension scheme sustainability reporting requirements

The government has announced that it is considering whether to update the current rules surrounding pension schemes' sustainability reporting, confirming that it will review the 2021 Climate Change Reporting Regulations this year as part of this. The update was one of a number of measures announced by the government today, as it shared three consultations, which form part of the first phase of its work to modernise the UK’s sustainable finance framework. This included a consultation on the draft UK Sustainability...

June 27, 2025
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25Jun

UK pensions remain committed to net-zero

UK pension schemes are increasingly committed to climate- and nature-focused investing, even amid geopolitical instability and the growing politicisation of net-zero, according to new research. The report, Climate Innovation – Investing in the Net-Zero Economy, released by Pensions for Purpose and commissioned by SAIL Investments, found that 40% of UK pension schemes now have dedicated climate allocations, while 60% regard climate risk as a core fiduciary responsibility. “In our conversations with pension funds, we found that they do not expect political volatility, particularly in the US,...

June 25, 2025
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