In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose Podcast, Laasya Shekaran and Monique Stephens speak to Jane Wadia, Head of Sustainability, Core Products and Clients of AXA Investment Managers, about how investors can achieve their net-zero goals across different listed asset classes amid the geopolitical tensions.

The discussion begins with stewardship, examining how the focus has moved from quantitative summaries of stewardship activity to a more qualitative understanding of engagement success and escalation policies. They then explore the financial significance of biodiversity – as a critical issue in its own right and its intrinsic link to climate change. Finally, the conversation turns to opportunities for investing in climate solutions within listed markets.

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, Laasya Shekaran and David Brown speak to Tegs Harding and Roger Mattingley about how investors can be realistic about climate change.  

We take a stocktake of where we are now and how achievable net zero really is for investors, especially given the current global political backdrop.  We discuss where investors can have the most influence and the importance of capital allocation.  We also discuss fiduciary duty and how it’s part of a trustee’s fundamental responsibility to consider climate change, given how financially material climate change is to the economy.

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles speak to Mark Burrows, Managing Director at Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, about how to invest in the transition to renewable energy.

The conversation covers the opportunities across regions and what the energy transition will bring over the next decade. They explore the contentious topic of nuclear energy and discuss how investing in the energy transition fits the broader government policy landscape of pension consolidation and clean energy.

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, Laasya Shekaran and David Brown speak to Catherine Howard, Chief Executive at ShareAction, about how the pensions and investment industry can be responsible custodians of capital in a changing landscape. We discuss why stewardship matters, how to do it well, and what changes are being proposed to the UK Stewardship Code. We also discuss how these fit into the broader pensions landscape amongst ongoing changes, and how the pensions industry can come together and collaborate to act in the best interest of pension scheme members.

Charlotte Moore and Richard Giles welcome Ingrid Kukuljan of Federated Hermes Ltd, to the Podcast to discuss COP16.

Investors are starting to understand how badly we have degraded our natural environment. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose Podcast, Charlotte Moore talks to Richard Giles, Senior Director of Pensions for Purpose, and Ingrid Kukuljan, Head of Impact and Sustainable Investing at Federated Hermes Limited, about the outcome of the recent Biological Diversity summit – COP16, and why investors need to put natural capital at the top of their agenda.

We discuss the relationship between climate change and biodiversity, as well as the risks and opportunities for investors. Richard shares the latest thinking on natural capital from the PLSA and the work Pensions for Purpose is doing on nature and biodiversity.

Charlotte Moore welcomes Pensions for Purpose Senior Director and Training Lead, David Brown, and Clare Wood, Sustainable Portfolio Specialist at Stewart Investors, to the podcast to discuss medicine.

In the latest episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, our host Charlotte Moore talks to David Brown, Senior Director & Training Lead at Pensions for Purpose and Clare Wood, Sustainable Portfolio Specialist at Stewart Investors about the organisation Access to Medicines Foundation. This not-for-profit organisation helps sustainable investors like Clare to identify which pharmaceutical and biotech firms are well governed and take their social purpose seriously. It’s such a helpful tool Stewart Investors recently helped the firm to expand its list to generic manufacturers essentially creating universal medicine coverage. This is an important issue for pension schemes to consider as it can help them to achieve their sustainable development goals. Clare and David discuss how investing in healthcare companies helps pension schemes address the sustainable development goals, in particular, SDG 3: 'Good Health and Well-being' – to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. 

Asset owners and managers have preferred to keep political campaigning on the quiet and not been all that active in influencing policy decisions. But climate change poses such significant systemic risk that this approach needs to change. In this discussion with Karen Shackleton, founder of Pensions for Purpose and Claire Jones, head of responsible investing at LCP, we take a deep dive into why being corporate stewards is no longer enough for pension schemes. Claire explains the five policy asks LCP has produced and why they are important. We talk about the steps both large and small schemes can take as well the role asset managers can play. 

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose Podcast Karen Shackleton, Chair & Founder, talks with Abbie Llewellyn-Waters, Lead Investment Manager of Jupiter’s Global Sustainable Equities strategy, about how diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) help managers to select companies with the best long-term prospects. In a recent Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens report, sponsored by Jupiter Asset Management, the two organisations looked at the importance of DE&I factors across the investment chain. The podcast discusses practical steps pension schemes and asset managers can implement.

The impact of improved funding levels on pensions and the consequent buyout boom, is one of the most significant trends to affect the UK pensions industry in recent years. Last year, around £50bn was transferred from closed corporate defined benefit pension schemes to insurers. It’s estimated to be £60bn this year and with new market entrants, could hit £100bn a year.

In this episode, podcast hosts Charlotte Moore and David Brown are joined by Paul Kitson and Ben Grainger from EY, to talk about how insurance companies are investing those assets sustainably. Many insurers have ambitious net-zero targets in place but have tight regulatory constraints about how these annuity assets can be allocated. We discuss how this shapes potential investment as well as possible solutions and opportunities for asset managers to work with insurers.

The auto-enrolled workplace pension scheme is the UK's largest driver of future retirement wealth. According to the Pensions Policy Institute's 'DC Future Book 2023', this market is projected to reach approximately £800bn by 2030. These workplace pension schemes rely heavily on passive equity investments to generate returns.

In this episode, podcast hosts Charlotte Moore and Charlotte O'Leary are joined by Keith Guthrie, Head of Sustainability at Cardano UK and NOW:Pensions. They discuss the three key areas schemes must address to enhance the sustainability of their investments, along with the challenges these present for pension funds and asset managers. The conversation covers selecting appropriate benchmarks, the importance of effective stewardship, and whether there's a place for impact investing in a workplace portfolio.