The overwhelming majority (92 per cent) of British institutional investors and wealth managers are planning to increase their allocations to renewable energy in order to diversify their portfolios, according to a survey by London-based asset manager Downing LLP. The survey, which polled 100 professional investors including pension plan sponsors, institutional investors and asset managers, found […]
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is committing to using its capital and influence to support a transition to net-zero emissions by 2050, according to its inaugural climate strategy report. The strategy also includes commitments to curbing the intensity of its portfolio’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 per cent, increase its investments in green assets […]
How often does today’s news present stories about environmental issues? Climate change, pollution, overpopulation, deforestation, biodiversity degradation — the list is endless and these long-term shifts are far from new. We’re failing our environment and our people. Our world is changing. Food, fresh water, other natural resources and clean energy are all under strain. Unfortunately, […]
The value of low-carbon investments held by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has more than doubled since 2017, according to its annual sustainable investing report. In the report, the investment organization noted its low-carbon investments were worth $39 billion at the end of 2021, up from $18 billion in 2017 and $36 […]
Canadian pension plans are the most transparent in the world, according to a new report by Top1000funds.com and CEM Benchmarking Inc. The report, which uses data from public disclosures of pension plans in 15 countries, also ranked the five largest pension plans in each country in terms of the transparency of performance, costs and responsible […]
The focus on environmental, social and governance factors is a train that’s leaving the station, but some pension plan sponsors and institutional investors remain hesitant to hop aboard. Over the past decade, interest in incorporating ESG factors into investment decisions has increased. Indeed, a 2020 survey by investment consulting firm Callan found 42 per cent […]
Jesus had a fractious relationship with the financial sector of his day. For those who work at the intersection of religion and finance, the reverberations of his courtyard scuffle with a group of moneylenders remain the source of controversy. Fortunately for Derek Hurst, manager of the Pension Plan of the United Church of Canada, he […]
At the beginning of 2020, the OPSEU Pension Trust upped its gold allocation to close to six per cent of its total fund after a comprehensive portfolio assessment. The decision paid off. In an environment of historically low interest rates and coronavirus-related market uncertainty, the commodity’s price skyrocketed to reach an all-time high of US$2,000 […]
The federal government’s 2022 budget is addressing long-standing rules preventing defined benefit plan sponsors from borrowing in most circumstances. In the $56-billion budget, which is expected to easily pass into law with the support of Liberal and New Democratic Party members of parliament, proposes providing more borrowing flexibility to administrators of registered DB plans. The […]
While more than half (57 per cent) of institutional investors got into crypto assets between 2020 and 2021, most investments were small with 71 per cent allocating less than two per cent of their portfolios to the asset class, according to a new survey by KPMG in Canada and the Canadian Association of Alternative Strategies […]