ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including Railpen announcing a pushback against “unequal voting rights” and BlackRock giving its pension clients more say in how they take part in shareholder votes.
TPR to review initial TCFD reports

On the go: The Pensions Regulator will review schemes’ published Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures reports in the coming months, it has disclosed.
Nearly a third of DB trustees think net zero ‘isn’t relevant’

On the go: Thirty per cent of defined benefit pension trustees think efforts to push their schemes towards net zero emissions “isn’t relevant to them”, according to new research.
How to handle disagreements over ESG on trustee boards

Pressure to align on sustainability can often lead to a lack of consensus within the board over what approach to take, and how quickly to take it.
BMW disputes inclusion on Make My Money Matter net zero target list

BMW has contested its inclusion on a list of the UK’s 20 largest pension schemes to have allegedly not set net zero targets.
London Pensions Fund Authority launches transparency dashboard

On the go: The £6.9bn London Pensions Fund Authority has launched a transparency dashboard in partnership with fintech company Tumelo that displays a breakdown of its equity investments.
TPR predicts improvements in funding levels

Pension schemes with recent valuation dates are expected to achieve improved funding levels, the Pensions Regulator has predicted, while many schemes in deficit should be able to maintain or reduce deficit repair contributions.
The importance of incorporating sustainability risks into covenant assessment
In this article, Michael Bushnell explains why trustees should assess sustainability risks and how to do that in practice.

How should schemes factor in members’ ESG concerns?

A pension fund’s fiduciary responsibilities and members’ environmental, social and governance concerns can go hand in hand, but education and communication are the keys to achieving it.
Pension fund focus on ESG opens questions over insurer back books

Billions of assets purchased by insurers to back UK retirement promises have the potential to drive corporate progress on issues such as climate change, and pension fund trustees are now indicating a willingness to pay extra for better stewardship.