To push for greater female representation on a corporate board, the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan withheld its support for the re-election of a female board director during a shareholder vote. During the annual general meeting of network management software developer Netscout Systems Inc., the pension fund’s proxy refrained from voting on a measure to re-elect […]
“Plans are, for the first time in a long time, in a position to off-load risk,” says Murray Wright, one of the contributors to LifeWorks Inc.’s monthly report on Canadian pensions. According to Wright, the principal of retirement and financial solutions at LifeWorks, pension chief financial officers are paying particular attention to one number found […]
The majority of climate-themed equity funds offer only marginal benefits compared to the broader market, according to a new report by the London-based think tank InfluenceMap. The report scored climate-themed and environmental, social and governance-themed investment funds on the basis of how well-aligned portfolios are with the environmental commitments made by governments, including the Canadian […]
Phishing and ransomware attacks are among the top threats to pension plan sponsors and institutional investors by cyber criminals, according to Jennifer Williams, director of information security at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan. “A common approach by cyber criminals begins with a simple phishing email designed to cause an employee to mistakenly action the […]
Broad support for regulating environmental, social and governance-themed investments in Canada has left the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission playing catch-up with its northern neighbour, says Katie Pries (pictured), president and chief executive officer of Northern Trust Canada. “While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is working through its regulatory plans for ESG investing, Canada […]
A new strategic collaborative project between the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System and an artificial intelligence-oriented think tank is aiming to expand the use of AI software in the pension space. Through the partnership, which is expected to last for the next five years, the Toronto-based Vector Institute’s researchers will provide the OMERS’ staff with […]
Pension plan members have super-priority when it comes to normal costs but not to special costs owed to bankrupted plans, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador finds in a recent ruling. In the case, Anthony Capital Corporation (Re), between the trustees of the defunct Anthony Capital Corp.’s executive pension plan and representatives for the […]
The Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board’s investments “do not reflect the action needed to address the scale of the climate crisis,” according to a new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The report, which reviewed the two organizations’ oil and gas investments between 2016 and […]
Institutional investors have a role to play in reconciling Canada with Indigenous people, says a new report by the Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Initiative. “With the Truth and Reconciliation Commission [of Canada] report, it’s clear that we can all play our parts. It’s on all of us,” says Katherine Wheatley, manager of the RRII. “The […]
The Chartered Financial Analyst Institute’s draft voluntary environmental, social and governance disclosure standards are vulnerable to greenwashing, warns the Investment Funds Institute of Canada. In an open letter to the CFA regarding its drafted voluntary regulations, the IFIC is criticizing the proposed standards’ failure to define what does and doesn’t qualify as an ESG investment. […]