As world markets contend with supply chain issues stemming from climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, environmental, social and governance considerations are slowly taking a more prominent role in pension funds’ risk assessments. In particular, Canadian pension funds are taking a progressive approach to ESG investing. Many have become signatories of […]
A private member’s bill prohibiting the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board from making certain investments survived its first reading in the House of Commons. Bill C-315, submitted by New Democratic Party member Alistair MacGregor, would amend the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act by prohibiting investments in any entity if there are reasons to believe […]
As the University Pension Plan increases its focus on climate change, its responsible investment policy considers environmental, social and governance factors as essential to sound long-term investing. “We’ve seen a lot of evidence from a variety of service providers — from investment banks to investment managers — that have demonstrated [the climate] is getting warmer […]
The British Columbia Investment Management Corp. is enhancing its climate change strategy to successfully navigate the global transition towards net-zero emissions. The investment organization’s priorities include that, by 2030, at least 80 per cent of its carbon-intensive investments have set mature net-zero aligned commitments or are the subject of direct or collaborative climate engagement. In a […]
Six months into a war that has killed thousands of Ukrainians and displaced more than 12 million more, most of the pledges by U.S. pension funds, university endowments and other public sector holdings to drop Russian investments have gone unfulfilled, according to an Associated Press review, state retirement administrators and firms that invest state funds. […]
While one expert says the two approaches work most effectively together, the other highlights the importance of complete divestment. Adam Scott, director at Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health: The common framing of engagement versus divestment is a false dichotomy. They aren’t mutually exclusive approaches — both are essential tools for pension managers, […]
Pension plan sponsors can’t ignore the financial risks of climate change or respond to them with half-baked approaches that allow companies to continue pumping out pollution. To be credible, comprehensive and complete, strategies protecting Canadians’ retirement savings from the unprecedented risks of the climate crisis must include several key elements. A Paris-aligned commitment The Paris Agreement […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is one of 12 pension funds being targeted by calls to divest holdings in a KKR fund. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union has published a website calling for pension plans to divest from the KKR’s Asian Fund III. The controversy around the fund relates to its […]
Idaho lawmakers are calling for a ban on investments in environmental, social and governance compliant companies by its state pension funds. Proposed by Republican State Senator Steve Vick, the bill would bar the state’s public sector pension plans from investing in companies that have made any ESG commitments. In its second reading, the bill received […]
In response to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Alberta Investment Management Corp. and the British Columbia Investment Management Corp. are divesting from Russian assets. “As Alberta’s investment manager, this decision is both values- and value-driven,” said a press release. “It reflects a change in the price of geopolitical risk and sustained impairment […]