The challenge for infrastructure asset managers to achieve Net Zero by 2050 is immense. It requires detailed strategic planning, clear interim targets, critical investment, transparent insight and regular reporting, as well as strong leadership and clear governance frameworks. And all of this needs to be done inside a fiduciary responsibility to seek superior long-term net returns for investors and their beneficiaries.[vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22David%20Neal%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Chief%20executive%2C%20IFM%20(Australia)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22David%20is%20IFM%20Investors%E2%80%99%20chief%20executive%2C%20responsible%20for%20executing%20the%20firm%E2%80%99s%20strategy%20and%20delivering%20strong%20results%20for%20IFM%20Investors%E2%80%99%20clients%2C%20shareholders%20and%20staff.%20He%20leads%20IFM%E2%80%99s%20global%20business%2C%20with%20nine%20offices%20and%20four%20investment%20teams%3A%20infrastructure%2C%20debt%20investments%2C%20listed%20equities%20and%20private%20equity.%20Neal%20joined%20IFM%20Investors%20from%20the%20Future%20Fund%2C%20Australia%E2%80%99s%20sovereign%20wealth%20fund%2C%20which%20he%20joined%20in%202007%20as%20its%20inaugural%20chief%20investment%20officer%20before%20becoming%20the%20chief%20executive%20in%202014.%20At%20the%20Future%20Fund%2C%20he%20established%20the%20investment%20team%20and%20built%20and%20designed%20the%20fund%E2%80%99s%20investment%20model.%20Prior%20to%20joining%20the%20Future%20Fund%2C%20he%20spent%2015%20years%20with%20Willis%20Towers%20Watson%2C%20where%20he%20started%20his%20career%20in%20the%20UK.%20He%20went%20on%20to%20establish%20and%20lead%20the%20firm%E2%80%99s%20investment%20consulting%20business%20in%20Australia.%20As%20head%20of%20investment%20consulting%20at%20Willis%20Towers%20Watson%20Australia%2C%20he%20led%20the%20team%20providing%20advisory%20services%20to%20the%20Future%20Fund%20when%20it%20was%20established%20in%202006.%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2245828%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdavid-neal-0a956919%2F%22%7D%2C%7B%22name%22%3A%22Michael%20Eisenberg%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Head%20of%20ESG%20integration%2C%20New%20York%20State%20Common%20Retirement%20Fund%20(US)%22%2C%22content%22%3A%22%22%2C%22image%22%3A%2246368%22%2C%22linkedin%22%3A%22%22%7D%5D” title=”Speakers” el_class=””][vc_quotes layout=”accordion” quotes=”%5B%7B%22name%22%3A%22Amanda%20White%22%2C%22job_role%22%3A%22Director%20of%20institutional%20content%2C%20Conexus%20Financial%20%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%2245819%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”]
Research from Princeton University plots a Blueprint for how the US can achieve net zero emissions in the next decade showing the key is overcoming execution challenges including the infrastructure deployment and the mobilisation of capital and labour.
SEC chair Gary Gensler is in favour of the regulator stepping in to bring greater clarity and consistency to corporate climate disclosure. Speaking at a PRI webinar he said the current level of disclosure doesn’t allow investors to compare corporate climate preparedness, and that much of the data is inconsistent.
The £9.2 billion portfolio managed for the Church Commissioners for England has returned 9.7 per cent over 10 years through a focus on sustainability and a willingness to try things early, such as forestry and venture capital. Amanda White spoke to CIO Tom Joy about where the fund looks for alpha and the need for a non-traditional allocation.
The David Rockefeller Fund and Wespath Institutional Investors explain how they are engaging managers, and holding them to account, in the drive to net zero integration.
CalSTRS outperformed its custom benchmark in every single asset class to deliver a historic fund performance of 27.2 per cent for the year. Amanda White spoke to CIO, Chris Ailman.
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