The Alberta Investment Management Corp.’s total financed carbon dioxide emissions fell nine per cent in 2021, according to its annual climate disclosure. According to figures released by the investment organization, its portfolio financed the release of about 424,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide, down from about 466,300 tonnes the previous year. For each million dollars invested […]
Slightly more than a third (35 per cent) of U.S. institutional investors are incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into investment decisions, down from a high of 49 per cent in 2021, according to a new survey by investment consulting firm Callan. The survey, which polled more than 100 institutional investors, found 50 per cent […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is acquiring a stake in a U.K. renewable electricity network. According to the terms of an agreement with Scottish and Southern Energy, the Canadian pension fund will pay £1.465 billion (approximately $2.45 billion) for a 25 per cent share in an electrical transmission network. The network carries power generated from […]
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 […]
Reports that a leading asset manager is delaying the launch of a Chinese bond fund indefinitely are a clear sign that the facade around Chinese stocks’ and bonds’ environmental, social and governance record may be lifting. In recent years, rising investment in Chinese stocks and bonds coincided with a boom in ESG investing. Of course, […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is revealing interim carbon reduction targets for 2030. The investment organization is planning to halve its $79 billion portfolio’s scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from 2019 levels by 2030. It’s also aiming for investments in climate solutions to account for 20 per cent of its assets by the […]
Nine Canadian public sector pension plans are passively invested in companies with evidenced involvement in the persecution of Uyghurs in China, according to a new report by U.K. think tank Hong Kong Watch. The report includes three federal and six provincial pension investment organizations — among more than 30 global institutional investors — as passive investors […]
More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of North American employers have a formal diversity, equity and inclusion policy or program, while 60 per cent offer employee education on DEI, according to two separate surveys by Leger Marketing Inc. on behalf of ESG Global Advisors and ACI Argyle Communications Inc. The surveys, which polled more than 70 […]
An article on the Canadian Federation of Pensioners’ response to proposed legislative and policy updates for Alberta’s private sector pension regulations was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. CFP urging Alberta government to reconsider transfer of pension risk to plan members 2. Walmart […]
A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute says pension plan fiduciaries shouldn’t ignore climate change and other environmental, social, and governance factors that are relevant to financial purposes. However, when plan fiduciaries use ESG factors to prioritize social or environmental concerns, such as those expressed by plan members, they put themselves on shaky legal […]