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.
Asset owners that are PRI signatories had higher returns and lower costs than non-PRI signatories over a five-year period according to analysis by CEM Benchmarking.
The $160 billion Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) has a long and celebrated prowess when it comes to investing in energy yet enduring underperformance in the asset class was a key focus during a recent board meeting.
A review of the legal barriers to investing for sustainability impact in 11 jurisdictions gives confidence to investors wanting to re-think old investment paradigms and include impact alongside risk and return.
G7 nations have endorsed mandatory climate-related financial disclosures based TCFD framework recommendations, but a survey of Canadian investors found the TCFD disclosures are less insightful than most had anticipated.
New research by Norges Bank, which manages the assets of the $1.39 trillion Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, examines how the increased focus on ESG issue can affect asset prices.
As more asset owners and managers commit to net-zero strategies, Roger Urwin outlines the challenges for investors including these additional tasks adding to the already stretched asset owner governance budgets.
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