With the increased focus on integrating environmental, social and governance factors into pension plans, a new approach by BlackRock Inc. could have a significant impact on many Canadian defined contribution pension plans, group registered retirement savings plans and other types of workplace capital accumulation plans. The money manager recently announced it will be adopting an ESG approach […]
An Ontario Superior Court judge awarding $210,000 in costs against the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Ontario court awards $210K in costs against FSRA in Brewers Retail pension case 2. Transition to low carbon economy […]
Long before the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe in early 2020, a massive transformation of the workplace was well underway. Advanced technologies, growing demand for better work-life balance and rising commercial real estate costs forced many organizations to reimagine the traditional way of working and, more broadly, the relationship between employer and employee. The pandemic […]
Two-fifths (40 per cent) of U.S. employees and one in five U.K. workers say their employer has introduced new childcare programs or subsidies over the past year, according to a survey by software company Beqom. The survey, which polled 2,000 employees in the U.K. and the U.S., found 45 per cent of U.S parents and 42 […]
The potential impact of a disorderly transition to a low carbon economy is a top factor driving financial market regulators to accelerate and focus their efforts on climate-related risks, said Tamara DeMos, chair of the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ environmental, social and governance committee and managing director of private pensions. Speaking during the […]
At the Alberta Investment Management Corp., diversity, equity and inclusion has catapulted up the priority list when it comes to investment strategy. While DEI has long played a role in the decisions of the AIMCo and other institutional investors, says Alison Schneider, the organization’s vice-president of responsible investing, she credits the coronavirus pandemic for catalyzing […]
References to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals in corporate reports may be used to deceive the general public and would-be impact investors, according a scholarly review published in Nature. “This impact [of the SDGs] has been largely discursive, affecting the way actors understand and communicate about sustainable development,” wrote the authors, a group of […]
The Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities is seeking feedback on three risk management guidelines. The guidelines will cover pension plans’ use of leverage, cyber risks and environmental, social and governance considerations. In a letter to stakeholders, the CAPSA said it may incorporate these guidelines into a single risk management document that will also cover […]
An article on how pension plans are approaching risk management was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Expert panel: Is risk management the new frontier in pension governance? 2. Sun Life completes acquisition of U.S. dental benefits provider 3. 44% of employers believe remote […]
While there’s broad interest in environmental, social and governance factors, the majority of U.S. defined contribution pension plan consultants said their plan sponsor clients are looking for further clarity on the Department of Labor’s proposed guidelines before incorporating ESG into their investment options, according to a new survey by the Schaus Group and T. Rowe […]