Editorial: Pension funds are set to engage with issues such as climate change more than ever before, as regulatory developments and increased awareness push environmental, social and governance considerations up the agenda.

Data remains a key issue for pension funds, according to the Local Pensions Partnership’s Joanne Darbyshire.

Columnist and FT pensions correspondent Josephine Cumbo says trustees should be wary of transferring to a superfund in all but the most extreme cases until a bespoke regulatory environment develops.

Podcast: From asset pooling and actuarial valuations, to administration and data, local government pension schemes have a lot to think about this year – meaning good governance is more important than ever. In this podcast episode, Kirsty Bartlett, partner at law firm Squire Patton Boggs, and Ian Colvin, head of LGPS benefits and governance at Hymans Robertson, discuss potential conflicts of interest, pressure on fund resources and the importance of focusing on administration.

Podcast: Master trusts have until the end of March to complete their applications to the Pensions Regulator for authorisation. In this PE podcast episode, Ian McQuade, director at Muse Advisory, discusses master trust selection and how the watchdog's authorisation and supervision regime will change the market.

Podcast: Last month, the Professional Trustee Standards Working Group published a set of new standards, which all professional trustees will be expected to meet. The group is also due to launch an associated accreditation framework later this year. In this episode of the PE podcast, Rachel Croft, director at Independent Trustee Services, explains what these new standards mean for schemes, how they will improve professional trustee quality, and whether increasing professionalisation and rising workloads could lead to the extinction of the lay trustee.