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 […]
Despite many institutional investors pressing pause on their real estate activities in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, those that keep calm and carry on with a focus on diversification and innovation are poised to emerge as winners. “Real estate values, like other investment vehicles, can vary at different times based on shifting demand […]
Three-quarters (75 per cent) of institutional investors say their alternative asset managers are either meeting or exceeding performance expectations in 2022 despite operating in a challenging and volatile market period, according to a survey by EY. The survey, which polled 114 hedge fund managers, 112 private equity firms and 61 institutional investors, found 50 per […]
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, […]
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 […]
Canada’s defined benefit pension plan sponsors are more concerned about broad-scale climate resilience in portfolios than they were before the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by the Global Risk Institute and the Smart Prosperity Institute. “It’s increasingly clear that climate change’s impact is accelerating and that’s fuelling a movement toward sustainable finance,” says […]
A growing number of institutional investors are pledging to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in their portfolios by 2050, according to a new survey by Cerulli Associates. Nearly a third of asset managers (31 per cent) and institutional asset owners (32 per cent) said they’ve made a formal commitment to a net-zero goal, while another 21 per […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is joining the growing list of asset owners committing to reaching net-zero alignment in their investment portfolios by 2050 through joining the Paris Aligned Investment Initiative. “We are committed to playing our part in the design of a new financial system that can secure a net-zero future for the world […]
With the federal Liberal Party returning for a third term, the government’s fiscal policy will remain aligned with a social agenda that should, in theory, support continued economic growth and, in turn, create opportunities for institutional investors, says Roshan Thiru, head of Canadian fixed income at Manulife Investment Management Ltd. “The Liberal Party continue to […]
Institutional investors, regulators and financial standard organizations are calling on Canadian corporations to adopt transparent climate-risk reporting, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. The report noted corporate directors have the legal and fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of their companies in developing strategies to address climate-related financial risks […]