Roughly seven in 10 (73 per cent) Ontario Pension Board plan members believe environmental, social and governance factors should play a critical role in the plan’s investment considerations, according to a new survey included in the investment organization’s inaugural ESG report. The survey, which polled roughly 10,000 plan members, found nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) of […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is reporting $53 billion in low-carbon assets, including $15 billion in Quebec, representing an overall increase of $35 billion in low-carbon assets since 2017, according to the investment organization’s latest sustainable investing report. It found the investment organization has more than $330 billion in assets with a […]
As I write this column, I’m reflecting on the spectrum of weather I’ve witnessed this past winter. From my office window in southwestern Ontario, I looked out onto snowy rooftops for maybe a week over the last several months. That’s contrasted with a recent trip to Nova Scotia, where a series of winter storms brought […]
An academic says environmental, social and governance terminology should evolve alongside understanding of the concept, while a consultant favours a focus on substance over form. Amir Akbari, assistant professor of finance, McMaster University As our understanding of sustainable development evolves, so, too, should our characterization of responsible investment. For instance, consider the United Nation’s Kunming-Montreal Global […]
An article on considerations for plan sponsors ahead of the rollout of a new generation of obesity drugs was the most-read article on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the past week: 1. What plan sponsors should know ahead of rollout of new obesity drugs in Canada 2. What’s […]
The New York State Common Retirement Fund is restricting its exposure in eight integrated oil and gas companies, including divesting a portion of its investment in Exxon Mobil Corp. In a press release, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said the decision was fueled by a review of the oil companies — Guanghui Energy Company, […]
Canada’s largest public pension funds are showing modest improvements on climate action but are moving too slowly overall, according to a new report by a climate advocacy group. The progress report from Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health found four of the 11 pension plans it examined still don’t have emissions reduction targets […]
An article on the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association’s priorities for the coming year was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com this past week. Here are the top five human resources, benefits, pension and investment stories of the week: 1. CLHIA focusing on improving pharmacare, rare disease drug coverage in 2024 2. Majority of Canadian employers expecting […]
In the coming year, the Association of Canadian Pension Management is looking forward to the possibility of participating in final consultations on policies and legislation determining variable payment life annuities, says Todd Saulnier, a principal at Mercer and president of the ACPM board. The 2023 federal budget proposed amendments to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 […]
The era of predictable monetary policy and global co-operation is over. In this new epoch, defined by sweeping government intervention, geopolitical realignment and environmental catastrophe, new ideas must be embraced. At the 2023 Investment Innovation Conference at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, Calif. on Nov. 15-17, leading academics and industry figures provided expert summaries […]