While the pension industry has historically thought about the sustainability of pension plans themselves, it’s now time to think about sustainability more broadly, said Kate Nazar, vice-president of strategy and market development for group retirement services at Sun Life Financial, during a panel at Benefits Canada‘s 2020 DC Plan Summit in Montreal in February. “We’re […]
Wrapping up the 2020 DC Plan Summit with his customary flair, Zaheed Jiwani, principal and leader of the DC consulting group at Eckler Ltd., highlighted the pervasive themes through a selection of songs. With Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help from My Friends,” he noted how the plan sponsor case studies shared real-life examples of […]
When the dust settles from the coronavirus pandemic, what environmental, social and governance lessons will shine through? A recent blog post by Fiona Reynolds, chief executive officer of the Principles for Responsible Investment, pointed to differences between this crisis and the crisis of 2008. “While there are certainly parallels with the global financial crisis just […]
To stay on the cutting edge of environmental, social and governance integration, institutional investors have to expand their focus beyond the factors that are material to a company’s operations today and look ahead at what’s around the corner. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, this is becoming an integral part of investors’ analysis. “To […]
If climate change represents one of the largest systemic risks the global economy has ever faced, dealing with its ramifications is going to move a lot of money. The world’s youth have taken to the streets calling on their governments for massive, co-ordinated policy change, but it hasn’t yet manifested. Any piecemeal regulatory shifts suffer […]
As private markets continue to make up a large portion of pension plans’ portfolios, they can’t ignore the risk management of these assets. One issue to consider is implementation, said Nalaka De Silva, head of private markets solutions at Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc., during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s Plan Sponsor Exchange conference […]
It’s been long understood that asset owners are driving changing behaviours in corporate governance, said Donna Anderson, head of corporate governance in the U.S. equity division at T. Rowe Price Group Inc., speaking at the Canadian Investment Review’s Plan Sponsor Exchange conference in February. One example, she noted, is the tremendous influence of Japan’s Government […]
If climate change represents one of the largest systemic risks the global economy has ever faced, dealing with its ramifications is going to move a lot of money. The world’s youth have taken to the streets calling on their governments for massive, co-ordinated policy change, but it hasn’t yet manifested. Any piecemeal regulatory shifts suffer […]
The California State Teachers’ Retirement System, together with the Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund and the USS Investment Management Ltd., which manages funds for the U.K.’s Universities Superannuation Scheme, are calling for long-term sustainability to become a more prevalent concern for corporations and asset managers alike, in a joint statement released in early March. Systemics […]
Corporate governance, climate change and human rights in the digital economy are primary focuses for Northwest & Ethical Investments in 2020. The Canadian firm’s annual corporate engagement focus list highlights five key themes and 26 investee companies it intends to engage with throughout the year. It’s planning to engage companies on governance issues including board diversity and board and […]