The world’s largest pension funds saw assets increase by 8.9 per cent in 2021, according to a report by WTW’s the Thinking Ahead Institute. The report, which drew on data from the 300 largest pension funds in the world, found these funds’ combined assets under management reached US$23.6 trillion by the end of 2021. The […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is allocating $5 billion to businesses with high-carbon emissions, according to its annual responsible investing and climate strategy report. “Recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis, we have committed to actively investing in select emissions intensive assets with the express goal of helping them decarbonize faster,” wrote Zlad Hindo, chief […]
An analysis of submissions made to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reveals a sharp divide between the opinions of institutional investors and corporate executives when it comes to a proposal to standardize corporate climate disclosures. “Comments from different parties did not always fall along corporates versus investors, though some did,” wrote Subodh Mishra, global […]
A resolution passed by the trustees of the Florida State Board of Administration with the approval of Governor Ron DeSantis is barring state pension fund managers from making fiduciary decisions based on environmental, social and governance criteria. “As used in this section, ‘pecuniary factor’ means a factor that the board prudently determines is expected to […]
A fifth (19 per cent) of U.S. employees say they’ve adjusted their retirement strategy and are taking a more conservative savings approach amid economic uncertainty, according to a new report by Fidelity Investments Inc. It found the total savings rate for the second quarter of 2022 continued the positive momentum achieved in the first quarter, […]
The uniting theme at the 2022 Defined Contribution Plan Summit was financial wellness, a chief concern for any employer that offers a pension plan to its workforce. In particular, with inflation reaching its highest level in four decades and people facing several competing financial priorities, including simple day-to-day expenses, plan sponsors are bringing flexibility to […]
When it comes to educating women about retirement and their finances, the needle hasn’t moved enough in the past few decades because the language being used by the industry isn’t connecting to what’s really going on, said Jenine Garrelick, senior managing director at MFS Fund Distributors Inc., during a session at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 DC […]
In 2016, the Calgary Foundation launched an impact investment program — one that required as much creativity as financial acumen to design. Perhaps that’s why the job fell to Lauren Frosst, director of investments at the endowment fund, which provided $66.9 million in funding to 1,100 charitable organizations last year. Beyond her experience designing a […]
The world’s electrical grids require massive investments if countries are to meet net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 goals, according to a new report from the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. “In many countries, including the world’s most advanced economies, aging grids are not yet ready for the expected surge in demand,” noted the report. “Nor were […]
Banks must provide institutional investors with more information on climate strategies, according to the head of an organization of European pension funds and asset managers seeking to curb carbon emissions. “For investors considering their own net-zero alignment and stewardship of portfolio companies, it is critical that they have sufficient information on companies’ transition planning, including […]