All divestment articles
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NewsLGPS funds mulling divestment from Israel-related assets
Funds within the Local Government Pension Scheme are considering their investments linked to Israel amid divestment campaigns.
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NewsBorder to Coast ready to vote on company leadership over ESG
The Border to Coast Pensions Partnership has warned it is prepared to vote on the future boardroom leaders over environmental, social and governance matters, as it publishes its net zero strategy.
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OpinionWhy organisations should think radically about green pensions
If you have driven down the M32 into the heart of Bristol recently, you will have noticed an enormous mural the length of two street blocks defining corporate greenwashing as claiming to do good for the environment, while knowingly damaging it.
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NewsActivists target Federated Hermes at local government pensions summit
On the go: Climate campaigners have protested outside a local government pensions conference, specifically targeting one of the event’s headline sponsors, investment manager Federated Hermes.
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NewsAre record energy profits creating an ethical quandary for trustees?
By Tom Higgins | August 12, 2022
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NewsRailpen stands by investment in Chinese government debt
The manager of the Railways Pension Scheme has stood by the scheme's decision to invest in Chinese government bonds in 2021, despite allegations of human rights abuses committed by the country's government.
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NewsLGPS responds to Israeli settlements database complaint
The Local Government Pension Scheme’s advisory board has provided an update regarding a database that lists companies active in the occupied Palestinian territories, after the UK Lawyers for Israel criticised the LGPS's summary of a January meeting with the then-UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Michael Lynk.
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NewsTackling patchy carbon emissions data from issuers
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, with significant implications for investors, including pension schemes.
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NewsLecturers’ USS lawsuit frustrated by centuries-old precedent
A lawsuit against Universities Superannuation Scheme directors alleging climate inaction and breaches of duty has failed on a technicality dating back to 1843, though the judge in the case did find that beneficiaries of a pension fund corporation do sometimes have the right to sue directors.
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NewsNo AE reform, but Queen’s Speech measures spark protests
There was no mention of automatic enrolment reform in the Queen’s Speech, but bills around local boycotts, online safety and a revamped audit and reporting framework will all impact the industry, experts have said.
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NewsWorcestershire invests in climate fund, insurers lock in net zero targets
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including the Worcestershire County Council Pension Fund investing in a climate fund, bulk annuity insurers all having set net zero targets, and the Church of England Pensions Board slashing the carbon intensity of its holdings by a fifth.
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NewsCampaigners oppose govt’s planned boycott ban
On the go: A coalition of 46 campaigning organisations has spoken out against anti-boycott legislation due in the next Queen’s Speech, which includes a ban on pension funds from pursuing politically motivating boycotts and divestments.
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NewsScottish Widows to divest £1.5bn from tobacco stocks
On the go: Scottish Widows has said it will divest from any company that derives more than 10 per cent of its revenue from tobacco, in an expansion to its exclusions policy.
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NewsDisinvesting on ESG grounds ‘often’ discussed at trustee meetings
Trustees regularly discuss divesting on ESG grounds at meetings as part of wider debates on environmental, social and governance factors. However, complexity means discussion does not always lead to action.
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OpinionSchemes need to pay attention to members’ sustainable demands
In an interesting Pensions Expert article published in February, it was asserted that there is still a strong perception among trustees that investing in sustainability in pension funds is at odds with financial returns.
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NewsParliamentary fund heeds Sunak’s warning over Russia
On the go: The Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund has ordered its fund managers to divest from Russian assets where possible, after uncovering a small amount of direct Russian holdings.
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NewsEngagement essential for schemes to turn the tide on plastic waste
The role pension schemes play in overcoming plastic pollution is multifaceted, and communicating it with members only adds another layer of complexity, experts warn.
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PodcastsPodcast: Is this really the right time for auto-enrolment expansion?
Podcast: Expanding auto-enrolment is a great idea in theory, but with sky-high inflation, a cost of living crisis and the potential for a global recession to exacerbate it, is now the right time to pursue it? LCP partner Mary Spencer and Cartwright’s director of investment consulting Sam Roberts debate the merits, discuss pension schemes’ reaction to war in Ukraine, and explore the industry’s readiness for long-term inflation.