Virtual AGMs stop robust engagement

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.

New Zealand Super adds climate alpha

New Zealand Super’s low-carbon reference portfolio has outperformed the original reference portfolio, adding NZ$800 million to the fund and providing evidence of ESG alpha. The low-carbon reference portfolio, that until now has had targets of reducing emissions intensity by 20 per cent and its exposure to potential emissions from fossil fuel reserves by 40 per cent, has added about 60 basis points per annum to performance since it was brought

Back VC to solve inequalities: Ming

Pension funds around the globe should be putting their high-risk capital towards supporting venture funds that have a track record of seeing value in people, according to Vivienne Ming, Silicon Valley technologist, entrepreneur and theoretical neuroscientist. Ming believes that AI can be used to solve poverty, mental health, inequality and even predict who will spread COVID-19. She says technology can make all of our lives better.