All climate change articles – Page 8
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NewsSmart: Trust is key to ensure TPR’s powers are applied fairly
On the go: Member-nominated trustees have “nothing to fear” from the Pensions Regulator’s newly introduced criminal sanctions, chair Sarah Smart told the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s annual conference.
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PodcastsPodcast: Schemes’ trustees cannot ignore social factors risks
Podcast: Climate change and environmental issues are front of mind for many pension schemes right now, but with the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting social inequalities at home and abroad, the social aspects of ESG investment cannot be ignored. For this episode of the Pensions Expert podcast, we talk to Stefan Lundbergh, director at Cardano, and John Howchin, secretary-general of the Council on Ethics for Sweden’s national pension funds, about why socially aware investing is so important for pension funds of all sizes — and how trustees can go about taking action.
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NewsPPF 7800 surplus jumps £25bn in September
On the go: The latest update of the PPF 7800 Index shows the aggregate surplus of the 5,318 defined benefit schemes measured jumped by more than £25bn to £108.8bn at the end of September, up from £83.2bn at the end of August.
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NewsOpperman lauds ‘transformational’ climate requirements
Pensions minister Guy Opperman has lauded the government’s “utterly transformational” approach to climate reporting requirements, while promising legislation on “simpler statements” and the “statements season” in the near future.
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NewsNew index fund aims to help schemes build Paris-aligned portfolios
On the go: Willis Towers Watson has teamed up with index provider Qontigo to launch the Stoxx Willis Towers Watson Climate Transition Indices, which they say will enable investors to address climate risks in their portfolios with a forward-looking evaluation of Paris-aligned equity valuations.
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News‘Greenium’ concerns remain around second green gilts issuance
On the go: The second issuance of the government’s green gilts is expected on October 18. While the first issuance was significantly oversubscribed, concerns about the “greenium” have deterred some pension schemes from investing.
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NewsMost pension schemes falling short on climate commitments
On the go: An overwhelming number of large UK pension schemes are yet to make net-zero commitments ahead of the COP26 summit, pensions campaign group Make My Money Matter has revealed.
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PodcastsPodcast: Mandating net zero could ‘cut straight through’ fiduciary duties
Podcast: The government mandating default funds be aligned with ‘net zero’ would be a way around concerns about fiduciary responsibility, but there are questions about what this would mean in practice. Stuart O’Brien, partner at Sackers, and Gareth Stears, pensions technical consultant at Aries Insight, discuss environmental, social and governance issues, social housing, and the Pensions Regulator’s controversial criminal powers.
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NewsTfL, Avon Pension Fund and Phoenix Group commit to net zero
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, with the Transport for London Pension Fund committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, Avon Pension Fund shifting £780m into a Paris-aligned benchmark, and Phoenix Group setting a carbon emission-reduction target of 50 per cent by 2030.
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NewsGovernments should consider green investing incentives, says IMF
Policymakers should consider providing a financial incentive for sustainable funds as existing capital is “too limited in size and scope” to have a major impact on climate change, the International Monetary Fund has warned.
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NewsBorder to Coast commits to net zero
On the go: The Border to Coast Pensions Partnership, which handles the assets of 11 Local Government Pension Scheme funds worth a collective £55bn, has committed to achieve net zero across its entire investment portfolio by 2050 or sooner in recognition of the urgent need to tackle climate change.
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NewsShould regulators take the lead on ESG in pensions?
The extent to which financial regulators should get involved in setting environmental, social and governance requirements is a hot topic, with some experts arguing that involvement could stifle innovation.
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NewsRiver and Mercantile joins green gilts issuance
On the go: River and Mercantile has announced its participation in the government’s inaugural green gilts issuance.
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NewsTaskforce lays out measures to boost schemes’ voting powers
The Taskforce on Pension Scheme Voting Implementation has called on the Department for Work and Pensions and the Financial Conduct Authority to create templates and requirements aimed at boosting asset owners’ ability to vote, especially in pooled funds.
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PodcastsPodcast: Trustees need to address sponsor covenant climate risk
Podcast: With climate change becoming central to investment discussions, trustees also need to think about how similar risks can affect the strength of their scheme’s sponsor and its ability to stand behind the pension fund. In this podcast, Lincoln Pensions managing director Michael Bushnell explains what questions trustees need to ask, what to do with the information they get, and why employers really need to pay attention to climate change in their pension finance discussions.
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NewsCalls for climate reporting harmony as FCA and DWP rules diverge
The Financial Conduct Authority’s climate-related disclosure rules for asset managers, life insurers and its regulated pension providers should be brought into line with Department for Work and Pensions regulations to give greater clarity and consistency, the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association has said.
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OpinionThe future of DC schemes: Go big and go green
Independent Trustee Services client director Dianne Day details the drivers behind consolidation in the defined contribution market, and the role environmental, social and governance investing is playing in this area.
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NewsLondon Borough of Newham invests in Paris-aligned index fund
On the go: The £1.6bn London Borough of Newham Pension Fund has invested in a new environmental, social and governance fund with Legal & General Investment Management.
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FeaturesBetter data needed for schemes to tackle modern slavery
As pension schemes struggle with data on modern slavery in global chains, corporate engagement takes the lead in the battle to tackle social issues.
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OpinionMore sustainability disclosure requirements coming to pensions?
Travers Smith pensions group partner Andy Lewis details how the UK’s version of the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation could look like and how these could affect pension schemes.