At the Alberta Investment Management Corp., diversity, equity and inclusion has catapulted up the priority list when it comes to investment strategy. While DEI has long played a role in the decisions of the AIMCo and other institutional investors, says Alison Schneider, the organization’s vice-president of responsible investing, she credits the coronavirus pandemic for catalyzing […]
References to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals in corporate reports may be used to deceive the general public and would-be impact investors, according a scholarly review published in Nature. “This impact [of the SDGs] has been largely discursive, affecting the way actors understand and communicate about sustainable development,” wrote the authors, a group of […]
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 […]
Pension plan sponsors can’t ignore the financial risks of climate change or respond to them with half-baked approaches that allow companies to continue pumping out pollution. To be credible, comprehensive and complete, strategies protecting Canadians’ retirement savings from the unprecedented risks of the climate crisis must include several key elements. A Paris-aligned commitment The Paris Agreement […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan is planning to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of its $20 billion real estate portfolio. According to a new report on the pension fund’s website, the HOOPP is committing to reducing its real estate portfolio’s greenhouse gas emissions entirely by 2050 for assets under its control. To do this, […]
The importance of risk management isn’t new for the majority of defined benefit pension plan sponsors and administrators. The impact of long-term interest rates, market volatility, changing demographics and increasing longevity, inflation concerns, geopolitical events and other large economic, environmental and social factors are all contributing to the need to manage the financial risks associated […]
The Saskatchewan Pension Plan is allocating parts of its balanced fund to Ninepoint Partners and Fengate Asset Management in a bid to further diversify its portfolio. Ninepoint has received a private debt allocation of 10 per cent of the SPP’s balanced fund and Fengate will take on a 10 per cent infrastructure allocation, according to a press […]
While there’s broad interest in environmental, social and governance factors, the majority of U.S. defined contribution pension plan consultants said their plan sponsor clients are looking for further clarity on the Department of Labor’s proposed guidelines before incorporating ESG into their investment options, according to a new survey by the Schaus Group and T. Rowe […]
Defined benefit pension plans and defined contribution pension plans are uncertain about how to incorporate environmental, social and governance issues into their investment processes in a way that’s consistent with fiduciary duties, according to a new white paper from the Association of Canadian Pension Management. “Sustainable investing, including ESG, is an area where some investment […]
Several of Canada’s largest pension funds have backed a proposal requesting that Amazon.com Inc. review how its actions against ongoing union organizing efforts align with its stated commitment to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The proposal by the Shareholder Association for Research and Education and the Catherine Donnelly Foundation was supported by the Alberta […]