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, […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada is providing feedback on the International Sustainability Standard Board’s exposure drafts on disclosure of financial information pertaining to sustainability and climate change. In an open letter responding to a consultation by the ISSB, the PIAC said while it supports the ISSB’s decision to build upon existing reporting frameworks — […]
The Public Sector Pension Investment Board is engaging WSP Global Inc. to develop a consistent methodology for analyzing the environmental impact of its natural resources assets. The consultancy firm will conduct a detailed climate analysis of the portfolio, which includes more than three million hectares of land across more than 400 properties based in six countries. […]
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 […]
Cadillac Fairview is adopting a series of sustainable investing goals to help its portfolio achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The real estate arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan announced it would achieve net-zero emissions in its $35-billion portfolio before 2050 in stages. During the first stage, it aims to reduce its portfolio’s carbon emissions […]
While politics plays a role in most investment decisions, it tends to arise on a fairly localized basis, says Michael Craig, head of the asset allocation and derivatives teams at TD Asset Management Inc. In addition, its prominence as a factor usually rises and falls on a cycle, slipping easily off investors’ radar in times […]
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 […]
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 […]
For three-quarters (75 per cent) of institutional investors, climate change is now central to — or a significant factor in — their investment policies, a steep increase from only 34 per cent two years ago, according to a new survey by Robeco Institutional Asset Management. The survey, which polled 300 of the world’s largest institutional […]