In the fall issue of the Rotman International Journal of Pension Management, Ed Waitzer, the Jarislowsky Dimma Mooney Chair in Corporate Governance at York University, Canada, argues the time has come for pension fund trustees and managers to lead rather than be dragged along. This article proposes a number of steps that can be taken to better align incentives and frame decision-making for longer-term perspectives.
Divesting from the oil sector has been a boon for La Caisse’s performance, as the Canadian pension giant says its energy investments have earned billions in value-add compared to the benchmark since the inception of its climate strategy. Head of sustainability Bertrand Millot unpacks the fund’s approach in an interview with Top1000funds.com.
Sustainability bonds issued by sovereign governments in developing and emerging markets offer exciting investor opportunities. The proceeds are used for impact and allow investors to target real change in sectors like health and education. Emerging market specialists describe how it could be the missing link to the ESG jigsaw.
Targets, allocating to diverse managers and acting on calls for change from diverse staffers are just some of the ways asset owners are boosting diversity in their own organisations. Investors at the Kresge Foundation, AP2 and AIMCo talk about their diversity, equity and inclusion action.
Integrating impact alongside risk and return is a revolution that will see more diversification among investor allocations to asset classes such as commodities. Elsewhere, it requires using multiple data sets to analyse stocks and sovereign bond allocations to see the real-world impact of a company’s product or services, and which governments are heading to net-zero. Bridgewater’s head of investment research Karen Karniol-Tambour explains.
Achieving diversity requires data, new recruitment practices and nurturing inclusion. And the financial industry must get its own house in order to better put pressure on investee companies.
Robeco chief executive Gilbert van Hassel opened the 'Sustainability Digital: A Planet in Trouble' conference with a reminder of the opportunities in sustainability and the importance of working with others. At Robeco this now includes engaging directly with sovereign governments.
Investors from Schroders, Trillium and PensionDanmark discuss how a changing regulatory picture and the economics of sustainable investment are coming together to create a tipping point in ESG, but they warn their peers to look beyond the label to what is on the inside.
Top1000funds.com is the market leading news and analysis site for the world’s largest institutional investors. It focuses on leading the global investment industry to continuous improvement through case studies of best practice in governance and decision making, portfolio construction and efficient portfolio management, fees and costs, and sustainable investing.
The publication pushes the industry to question whether status quo processes and behaviours to tackle risks and opportunities will be sufficient in the future, and actively campaigns for diversity, sustainability, transparency, innovation and better alignment of fees in the investment industry.
Top1000funds.com is read by investment professionals in more than 40 countries.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Login