All Governance articles – Page 9
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NewsLGPS urged to divest from ‘Israeli settlement economy’
Canadian Professor Michael Lynk, who works with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, has requested that the Local Government Pension Scheme funds divest from any holding that may be linked to contested Israeli settlements.
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NewsGovt to consult again on McCloud implementation in 2022
The Cabinet Office, Home Office, Department for Education and Ministry of Defence have each opened consultations into the first phase of the McCloud remedy, covering regulations that will see all legacy schemes close to future accrual from March 2022. However, new consultations on phase two of the remedy will be launched next year.
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NewsFRC receives more Stewardship Code applications than expected
On the go: The Financial Reporting Council says it has received significantly more applications than expected for the second round of its UK Stewardship Code.
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News
COP26 sees 12% uptick in net zero commitments
More than half (52 per cent) of insurers and 50 per cent of pension funds have committed to making their portfolios net zero by 2050, up 12 per cent from last year, according to a new report from Aviva Investors.
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NewsPPI: Governance should be focus of UK value-for-money framework
Lessons on how to successfully integrate robust governance procedures in providing value for money in UK pensions must be taken from overseas, the Pensions Policy Institute has said.
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NewsPoor understanding of ‘company beliefs’ may hamper endgame plans
On the go: Defined benefit scheme endgame plans are threatened by a lack of understanding about “company beliefs”, according to Hymans Robertson, warning that trustees must ensure such beliefs are aligned with strategic pensions choices.
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Features
UN goals can act as guide for schemes making societal impact
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals list 17 ambitions to improve the lives of people globally, spanning matters of poverty, equality, environmentalism and health. Much of the focus of the SDGs is on the developing world, yet lessons can be taken from the ambitions and used to improve the lives of people in the UK.
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NewsPPF 7800 surplus remains ‘solid’ in October
On the go: The aggregate surplus of the 5,318 schemes in the PPF 7800 Index remained “solid” in October, narrowing to £103.2bn from £108.8bn at the end of September, while the funding ratio decreased to 105.9 per cent from 106.4 per cent during the same period.
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NewsUSS directors sued over climate inaction and breaches of duty
Two university lecturers, backed by a number of branches of the University and College Union, have filed a wide-ranging legal action against the directors of the Universities Superannuation Scheme, accusing them of multiple failings with respect to the controversial 2020 valuation, and of inaction around climate change commitments.
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NewsESG factors more important to investors than financial metrics
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including a survey showing institutional investors believe ESG is more important than financial metrics when it comes to evaluating a company’s long-term attractiveness, and more signatories to the Make My Money Matter charter.
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NewsAlmost a quarter of trustees unsure of endgame strategy
On the go: There are still doubts among trustees about their defined benefit schemes’ long-term strategy, as almost a quarter of these professionals (23.9 per cent) are unsure of their endgame strategy, a survey has revealed.
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NewsBig funds invest £128bn in fossil fuels, LCP urges net-zero action
ESG spotlight: A roundup of the latest news on environmental, social and governance initiatives, including research by Friends of the Earth that found the UK’s largest pension funds have no “credible plan” to divest the £128bn currently held in fossil fuels, and a call from LCP for defined contribution schemes to take meaningful action on net-zero ambitions.
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NewsTPR to demand more asset information from schemes in 2023
The Pensions Regulator has confirmed it will press on with reforming the asset class information it collects via the scheme return, in a consultation response published on Thursday.
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News
Green finance roadmap still missing key details
The government has published its “roadmap to sustainable investing”, laying out a number of new reporting requirements. However, some experts have warned that the plan does not go far enough to make a real difference.
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NewsPPF pays out £1bn but fraud compensation claims raise concerns
The Pension Protection Fund paid out £1bn in member compensation in 2020-21, but there are concerns as potential claims with a value in excess of £358m against its Fraud Compensation Fund vastly exceed the money available to pay them, according to the PPF’s annual report.
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NewsUSS employers call for union co-operation ahead of strike ballot
Universities UK, the group representing 340 Universities Superannuation Scheme employers, has called on trade unions to co-operate with it as it bids to reform the embattled pension scheme.
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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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News
Opperman 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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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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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.