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This session looked at case studies of investors who have integrated sustainability practices into their investment decision making and portfolio construction, their outlook for the next five to 10 years, and what they think ESG 2.0 will look like in their portfolios.[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Lucy%20Thomas%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Head%20of%20investment%20stewardship%2C%20TCorp%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Lucy%20Thomas%20leads%20NSW%20Treasury%20Corporation%E2%80%99s%20stewardship%20activities.%20In%20her%20role%20she%20has%20joint%20accountability%20with%20the%20investment%20leadership%20team%20for%20the%20design%20and%20implementation%20of%20a%20new%20total%20portfolio%20approach%20to%20investment%20and%20stewardship%20philosophy%20and%20process.%20TCorp%20is%20committed%20to%20be%20an%20effective%20steward%20of%20the%20%2490%20billion%20of%20assets%20entrusted%20to%20TCorp%20on%20behalf%20of%20the%20people%20of%20NSW.%5CnShe%20is%20responsible%20for%20establishing%20and%20managing%20best-practice%20stewardship%20at%20TCorp%20and%20uses%20a%20five%20pillar%20framework%20to%20embed%20stewardship%20across%20the%20organisation.%20These%20pillars%20include%20ESG%20integration%2C%20proxy%20voting%2C%20engagement%2C%20collaboration%20and%20disclosure.%20She%20ensures%20consistency%20of%20approach%20and%20transparency%20to%20stakeholders%20including%20government%2C%20clients%2C%20TCorp%20board%20and%20global%20industry%20peers.%20%5CnShe%20was%20previously%20global%20head%20of%20sustainable%20investment%20at%20Willis%20Towers%20Watson.%20Her%20career%20spans%20diverse%20global%20investment%20roles%20with%20over%2015%20years%E2%80%99%20industry%20experience.%20Her%20background%20includes%20equity%20research%20at%20Morgan%20Stanley%20in%20London%3B%20a%20boutique%20real%20estate%20manager%20in%20Europe%3B%20and%20a%20Sydney%20based%20market%20neutral%20hedge%20fund.%5CnShe%20is%20a%20CFA%20charterholder%20and%20holds%20a%20BA%20(Hons)%20in%20management%20science%20from%20Dublin%20University%20(Trinity%20College).%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233580%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Flucy-thomas-b194b855%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Dau%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Andrew%20Siwo%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Director%20of%20sustainable%20investments%20and%20climate%20solutions%2C%20New%20York%20State%20Common%20Retirement%20Fund%20(United%20States)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22Andrew%20Siwo%20is%20the%20director%20of%20sustainable%20investments%20and%20climate%20solutions%20(SICS)%20at%20the%20New%20York%20State%20Common%20Retirement%20Fund%20and%20reports%20to%20the%20chief%20investment%20officer.%20He%20is%20charged%20with%20providing%20leadership%20and%20oversight%20on%20sustainable%20investment%20efforts%20across%20the%20Fund%E2%80%99s%20%24220%20billion%20portfolio%20and%20is%20the%20portfolio%20manager%20for%20the%20fund%E2%80%99s%20%2420%20billion%20commitment%20to%20SICS.%20Previously%2C%20Siwo%20was%20an%20investment%20director%20and%20served%20as%20the%20head%20of%20mission-related%20investments%20(MRIs)%20at%20Colonial%20Consulting%2C%20an%20investment%20consultancy%20to%20over%20150%20leading%20foundations%20and%20endowments%20with%20an%20aggregate%20of%20%2440%20billion%20in%20assets.%5CnAt%20Colonial%20Consulting%2C%20Siwo%20led%20the%20creation%20of%20client%20portfolios%20targeting%20MRIs%2C%20developed%20the%20firm%E2%80%99s%20MRI%20(SRI%2C%20ESG%2C%20impact)%20framework%20as%20well%20led%20sourcing%2C%20investment%20research%2C%20and%20due%20diligence%20across%20asset%20classes%20for%20related%20investment%20strategies.%5CnPrior%20to%20joining%20Colonial%20Consulting%2C%20Siwo%20was%20a%20manager%20at%20the%20Global%20Impact%20Investing%20Networking%20(GIIN).%20In%20his%20capacity%20there%2C%20he%20was%20responsible%20for%20the%20operation%2C%20sourcing%2C%20and%20development%20of%20ImpactBase%2C%20the%20largest%20platform%20of%20impact%20investment%20funds%20globally%2C%20which%20he%20grew%20by%20%2410%20billion%20and%20validated%20over%20100%20impact%20funds.%20He%20also%20educated%20and%20fostered%20institutional%20investors%20seeking%20exposure%20to%20socially%2Fenvironmentally%20responsible%20investment%20portfolios.%5CnPrior%20to%20joining%20the%20GIIN%2C%20Siwo%20spent%20five%20years%20in%20the%20investment%20banking%20division%20at%20JP%20Morgan-most%20recently%20in%20the%20Global%20Special%20Opportunities%20Group%2C%20a%20%243%20billion%20proprietary%20portfolio%20of%20principal%20investments%20in%20private%20equity%2C%20debt%2C%20mezzanine%2C%20infrastructure%2C%20and%20real%20estate.%20He%20also%20held%20roles%20on%20the%20rates%20desk%20executing%20fixed-income%20financing%20transactions%20as%20well%20as%20the%20Securitized%20Products%20Group%20valuing%20collateralized%20mortgage%20obligations.%5CnBefore%20JP%20Morgan%2C%20Siwo%20was%20a%20member%20of%20the%20Corporate%20Finance%20and%20Real%20Estate%20Strategy%20Group%20at%20Victoria’s%20Secret%20leading%20project%20finance%20initiatives.%20He%20began%20his%20career%20at%20E*Trade%20Financial%2C%20managing%20a%20team%20of%20investment%20representatives%20serving%20active%20traders%20and%20high%20net-worth%20investors.%20His%20investment%20articles%20have%20been%20printed%20in%20va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title=”Speaker” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Amanda%20White%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Director%2C%20institutional%20content%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22White%20is%20responsible%20for%20the%20content%20across%20all%20Conexus%20Financial%E2%80%99s%20institutional%20media%20and%20events.%20She%20is%20responsible%20for%20directing%20the%20bi-annual%20Fiduciary%20Investors%20Symposium%20which%20challenges%20global%20investors%20on%20investment%20best%20practice%20and%20aims%20to%20place%20the%20responsibilities%20of%20investors%20in%20wider%20societal%2C%20and%20political%20contexts%2C%20as%20well%20as%20promote%20the%20long-term%20stability%20of%20markets%20and%20sustainable%20retirement%20incomes.%20She%20is%20the%20editor%20of%20conexust1f.flywheelstaging.com%2C%20the%20online%20news%20and%20analysis%20site%20for%20the%20world%E2%80%99s%20largest%20institutional%20investors.%20White%20has%20been%20an%20investment%20journalist%20for%20more%20than%2020%20years%20and%20has%20edited%20industry%20journals%20including%20Investment%20%26%20Technology%2C%20Investor%20Weekly%20and%20MasterFunds%20Quarterly.%20She%20was%20previously%20editorial%20director%20of%20InvestorInfo%20and%20has%20worked%20as%20a%20freelance%20journalist%20for%20the%20Australian%20Financial%20Review%2C%20CFO%2C%20Asset%20and%20Asia%20Asset%20Management.%20She%20has%20a%20Bachelor%20of%20Economics%20from%20Sydney%20University%20and%20a%20Master%20of%20Arts%20in%20Journalism%20from%20the%20University%20of%20Technology%2C%20Sydney.%20She%20was%20previously%20a%20columnist%20for%20the%20Canadian%20publication%2C%20Corporate%20Knights%2C%20which%20is%20distributed%20by%20the%20Globe%20and%20Mail%20and%20The%20Washington%20Post.%20White%20is%20currently%20a%20fellow%20in%20the%20Finance%20Leaders%20Fellowship%20at%20the%20Aspen%20Institute.%20The%20two-year%20program%20consists%20of%2022%20fellows%20and%20seeks%20to%20develop%20the%20next%20generation%20of%20responsible%2C%20community-spirited%20leaders%20in%20the%20global%20finance%20industry.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2233531%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Famanda-white-101a7515%2F%3ForiginalSubdomain%3Dau%22%7D%5D” title=”Moderator” el_class=””][vc_empty_space height=”10px”]
Key takeaways
Lucy
We think about allocating risk, not capital. We take a whole portfolio view.
We assess ESG risks and benefits. Can we mitigate risks or take advantage of benefits?
Before we invest, we think about whether we can add value by active engagement and stewardship over the long-term.
It is important for sustainability to be integral to every cog of the investment wheel.
We ask our asset manager managers to follow the CFA’s code of ethics and report on their compliance to it, which gives us an insight into the culture.
We should continue to ask ourselves what our portfolio impacts, not just what our portfolio returns.
Andrew
The fund focuses on 9 of the 17 SDGs.
For sustainable investing 2.0, asset managers will need to identify the source of alpha.
In future, there will be a close examination of claims made versus claims achieved.
There is currently problematic inconsistency in rating agency assessments in the ESG space.
Dewi
A few years back, we set a target to invest 10 per cent in climate actions.
We wish to invest at least US$8bn in climate initiatives by 2030.
We have an ESG tilt to our equities portfolio.
The lack of data and lack of comparability is an ongoing issue.
Investment in the S and G is expected to continue in the current global circumstances.
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.
Last Thursday, March 12 the US Senate Democrats’ Special Committee on the Climate Crisis heard from industry experts, including Bob Litterman and Frederic Samama, on the economic risks of climate change. They all pushed for a price on carbon and for action, now.
Being passively invested shouldn’t mean being passive with regard to responsibilities says the Church of England Pension Board which has developed a new climate transition index with FTSE Russell, LSE and TPI that is the first to incorporate forward-looking climate data.
Designing a 1.5°C asset portfolio to mobilise capital for a sustainable future requires some big thinking and intensive collaboration, not to mention transformational change that extends way beyond the borders of the investment industry. So what role do investors play?
The largest pension fund in Europe, the €450 billion Dutch ABP, set out its sustainability and responsible investment plan for 2025 last month. The plan sets out long-term objectives – in line with the goal of a climate-neutral economy by 2050 – as well as the short-term steps to achieve that.
The UK’s £30 billion Brunel Pension Partnership is taking investing in a carbon zero future to a whole new level. It has just published a far-reaching Climate Change Policy filled with actions and deadlines linked to the goals of the Paris Agreement.
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