As geopolitical risks increasingly stalk developed markets, asset owners sifting through the noise for long-term trends believe a fragmented world is here to stay. We spoke to CalSTRS, OPTrust, PFA and USS about the impact on their portfolios.
The car industry is a stark case study in the unstoppable momentum in a race to zero that will leave behind old-school manufacturers. According to champion of COP26, Nigel Topping, Detroit’s car manufacturers risk Armageddon by staying in the fossil fuel industry while European and Chinese.
Finance education needs to move away from neo-classical economics towards a more holistic approach including sustainability, philosophy and ethics. Robeco is actively engaging with leading universities in The Netherlands to change the curriculum.
Watered-down shareholder participation at AGMs, due to virtual meetings during the pandemic, is sounding alarm bells at APG, the largest pension fund in Europe, where collaboration with other asset owners and organisations is the beating heart of its ESG strategy and a central tenet to its stewardship response to the pandemic.
The future of active investment will be grounded in engagement. Robeco is in the process of designing new portfolios so the manager engages with every portfolio company. Engagement specialist, Peter van der Werf explains how engagement drives returns.
One of the most important, upcoming challenges at CalSTRS is how the fund should evaluate Chinese investments from a human capital and environmental standpoint, says Chris Ailman, chief investment officer at the giant pension fund.
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