Risk, Return and Responsibility

By Asset Owner NetworkBusiness Investing

Risk, Return and Responsibility episodes

June 23 Caroline Escott, Railpen: Stewardship as a Returns Question
What does it actually take to move a system? In this episode of Risk, Return & responsibility Caroline Escott, Head of Investment Stewardship and Co-Head of Sustainable Ownership at Railpen, joins us to explain how one of the UK's largest pension schemes turns its position as a universal owner into influence, and why every bit of that work begins and ends with financial outcomes for members.

We cover the trustee mandate and investment beliefs that frame Railpen's priorities; the three pillars of its Sustainable Financial Markets agenda, namely shareholder rights, board effectiveness and external audit; and the practical craft of stewardship, from picking the jurisdictions and systemically important companies where influence travels furthest, to the under appreciated discipline of audit. Caroline is candid on the mechanics of investor coalitions, including the antitrust caution now shaping behaviour in the United States, and on the Investor Coalition for Equal Votes, the $4.5tn group Railpen co founded and chairs, as it engages founder led firms long before they reach the market. She closes with a generous, practical guide to public policy engagement for asset owners of every size.

A conversation for trustees, heads of DC, scheme managers and provider strategists who want to understand how stewardship earns its place in the return equation.

Listen now, and find the full video and our written feature at assetownernetwork.com.
24 min
June 01 The US Seeks Answers
The US Seeks Answers
Guy Opperman, David Harris and Mike Ambery on Trump's pensions revolution, and what UK and European asset owners ought to do about it. Hosted by Stuart Hall.

David and Mike were in Washington and Des Moines last month. They came back with a story worth hearing.

In the US, ESG as a label is finished, the Department of Labor is opening 401(k) defaults to private credit and alternatives, and the administration is moving at a pace that makes the UK look, frankly, slow. Guy borrows Tony Blair's image of it: faced with a wall, the UK stops, reverses and thinks about it for two years; Trump puts his foot down and goes through it. Guy's own £25 billion of HS2 road money, bogged down in climate litigation, makes the point sting.

David is sharper still on the home front. He calls the interim Pensions Commission report "light and fluffy" His warning on Middle Eastern sovereign wealth quietly going home to rebuild is the line trustees should sit with.
Mike pulls it back to where the money actually goes. The US is laser-focused on one thing: returns for the member, and the courts now back that up. ESG language is out; energy security, defence and infrastructure are in. The opportunity has not gone; the framing has changed, and European asset owners need to read that correctly.

Plus: the masculinity vote and the Trump base wanting Bitcoin in their 401(k). Kate Bingham's quiet observation that not one UK pension fund backed her healthcare business. A 1% EIS style allowance for pension funds that nobody is talking about, and Guy on whether Trump will really build "super, just like the Australians." His answer is worth the wait.

Chapters
00:00 Boots on the ground in Washington and Des Moines
05:30 The sole purpose test and the end of ESG in US defaults
08:30 Masculinity, Bitcoin and the Trump base
12:00 Geopolitics and Middle Eastern sovereign wealth
22:00 Why the US gets on with it and the UK does not
26:30 The "light and fluffy" Pensions Commission
32:00 Energy security and defence as the new ESG
46:00 EIS for pension funds and the missing product set
55:00 Trump's Aussie super dream, and decumulation

Hear all three in person at Private Markets Live 26, Stationers' Hall, London, 30 June. Asset owners attend complimentary. Link below. https://assetownernetwork.com/events/private-markets-live-26
1 hr 3 min
April 27The Hidden Reason US Pensions Still Back Fossil Fuels
Risk, Return and Responsibility - Episode 10
What if doing the responsible thing with your pension wasn’t about values at all - but about returns, risk, and reality?
Risk, Return and Responsibility, former UK Pensions Minister Guy Opperman and Chris Hall, Editor of Asset Owner Network, sit down with Alex Wright‑Gladstein, Founder and CEO of US fund provider Sphere, to unpack one of the most misunderstood forces in modern finance: why almost all US pensions still fund fossil fuels, and why this is a fiduciary failure, not a moral choice.
Alex explains how a system designed decades ago now traps trillions of dollars into outdated assumptions, why climate‑friendly investing has been framed as “financially irresponsible”, and how lawsuits, not performance - quietly dictate where retirement money flows.
This conversation goes far beyond ESG buzzwords. It’s about risk, power, incentives, and who really decides what “prudent investing” means.
If you’ve ever been told you have to choose between returns and responsibility, this episode challenges that idea entirely.

What You’ll Learn
Why most Americans want climate‑aligned investing - but think they’re alone
How pension fiduciary law in the US actively blocks innovation
The lawsuit culture shaping what can and can’t appear in retirement plans
Why fossil fuels have been one of the worst‑performing sectors for decades
How excluding fossil fuels can actually reduce long‑term risk
The uncomfortable truth about shareholder voting and conflicts of interest
Why the ESG backlash wasn’t grassroots - and who funded it
What a climate‑friendly index fund must do to survive regulatory scrutiny
Why “doing nothing” with pensions is still an active choice

Stand‑Out Quotes
“You don’t have to choose between doing good and doing well - that choice was manufactured.”
“Most people don’t know what ESG means - but they know they’re worried about their future.”
“The default option quietly decides the fate of trillions of dollars.”
“Climate risk is financial risk. The law just hasn’t caught up yet.”

Why This Episode Matters
Pensions are the largest pool of long‑term capital in the world - and most people never realise where their money ends up.
This episode exposes:
How systemic risk is ignored by design
Why default funds matter more than individual choice
How incentives shape markets far more than intentions
It’s not a debate about politics or ideology.
It’s a conversation about reality, responsibility, and the future we’re accidentally funding.

Who This Episode Is For
Pension trustees & asset owners
Policy makers & regulators
Institutional investors
Anyone with a pension who’s never been asked what it supports
35 min
March 30Risk, Return and Responsibility – Episode 9: Reaching Common Ground on Natural Capital
In this episode, Rebalance Earth’s Rob Gardner explains why institutional investors must view nature as "living infrastructure" to mitigate systemic climate risks and secure long-term, performance-linked returns.
Risk, Return and Responsibility — the monthly podcast from Sustainable Investor — provides institutional asset owners with the news and views shaping the sustainable investment landscape and our wider economic and social systems.
Recorded in the first week of March 2026, this episode features former UK pensions minister Guy Opperman and Sustainable Investor Editorial Director Chris Hall in conversation with Rob Gardner, CEO and Co-founder of Rebalance Earth. Gardner discusses his own transition from traditional investment consulting to becoming a "natural capital champion”, arguing that restoring nature is a matter of economic self-interest. The discussion delves into how nature-based solutions can outperform engineered alternatives in managing physical climate risks, while also delivering returns to institutional portfolios.
With reference to several of Rebalance Earth’s own projects, it outlines how capital flows for nature protection and restoration can be unlocked through aligning shared commercial interests, but does not shy away from the complexity of working with multiple parties, and the need for greater public-private understanding – and action - common challenges.
Guests
Rob Gardner: CEO and Co-Founder of Rebalance Earth
Guy Opperman: Former UK Pensions Minister and host
Chris Hall: Editorial Director of Sustainable Investor
Interview Highlights
Nature as Living Infrastructure: Gardner argues that nature restoration must be viewed through the lens of economic self-interest and "team Earth's" resilience rather than mere philanthropy or altruism. By framing nature as "living infrastructure", it becomes clear who benefits from its maintenance, crystalising payment flows and ultimately investment returns. Biological assets, such as oyster reefs, can be viewed as performing infrastructure that provides high-value services, including water purification, marine biodiversity restoration, and cost-effective coastal defences.
Performance-linked Returns: One promising investment model being pioneered by Rebalance Earth focuses on ‘payments for ecosystem services’, where corporate off-takers like Nestlé Purina pay for specific outcomes such as cleaner water and marine biodiversity restoration. This creates a financial return that flows back to pension funds, such as the West Yorkshire Pension Fund, based on the reef's performance.
Addressing Systemic Risk: Gardner notes that peak rainfall in the UK has increased fivefold since 2010, posing a systemic threat to property and infrastructure. He argues that asset owners should allocate 2–5% of portfolios to natural capital to enhance the resilience of the physical assets — such as homes and railways — that their members rely upon. Such investments can provide a “natural hedge” for portfolios that are at risk from the physical risks of climate change at a time when information on adaptation actions across major asset classes is scarce.
The Evenlode Project – Scaling Up: The podcast highlights the latest stage of the Evenlode Landscape Recovery Project, west of Oxford. Rebalance Earth is providing catalytic capital to unlock £50 million in private investment alongside public funding to pay farmers for "landscape recovery". This project aims to create "sponge landscapes" that reduce flood risk, delivering maintenance cost savings for major infrastructure operators like Network Rail and power utility SSE.
The LTAF Opportunity: Gardner suggests that the Long-Term Asset Fund (LTAF) structure is an ideal "sweetie shop" for defined contribution and local government pension scheme funds to access a balanced portfolio of sustainable forestry, regenerative agriculture, and ecosystem services. He also describes the path from the sweetie shop to a global megastore for natural capital.
Embracing the Fosbury Flop
The conversation concludes with the analogy of the ‘Fosbury Flop’, with Gardner suggesting that the investment industry needs a similar leap in logic to address climate change. By moving away from viewing nature as an "add-on" and instead integrating it into the core definition of infrastructure, he argues the UK can lead the world in nature restoration. With more pension assets in the UK than total GDP, the shift toward a 70% private-capital funding model for landscape recovery offers a clear path toward both national resilience and institutional alpha.
40 min
February 26Risk, Return and Responsibility – Episode 8: The Asset Owner's Moonshot Challenge
Risk, Return and Responsibility—the monthly podcast from Sustainable Investor—provides institutional asset owners with the news and views shaping the sustainable investment landscape and our wider economic and social systems.
In this episode, former UK pensions minister Guy Opperman and Sustainable Investor Editorial Director Chris Hall talk to Marisa Hall, Head of the Thinking Ahead Institute (TAI), about the role of asset owners in the evolving landscape of global capital. As a former actuary and now leader of a global not-for-profit investment network, she provides a unique window into how the world’s most influential asset owners are adapting to a "ruptured" global order. From the findings of the TAI’s latest Asset Owner 100 report to the "Moonshot Challenge" of systemic investing, this conversation delves into why traditional investment "buckets" are being broken down in favour of a more dynamic, holistic approach.
Guests
● Marisa Hall: Head of the Thinking Ahead Institute
● Guy Opperman: Former UK Pensions Minister and host
● Chris Hall: Editor-in-Chief of Sustainable Investor
Interview highlights
The Power and Concentration of Global Capital: The TAI’s Asset Owner 100 report highlights that the top 100 asset owners control roughly US$30 trillion in capital, with the top 20 "megas" alone commanding 56% of those assets. These organisations are viewed as the "movers and shakers" of the industry, wielding the most influential capital on the planet to shape the future of the global economy.
The Shift to a Total Portfolio Approach (TPA): Leading asset owners are moving away from traditional strategic asset allocation and rigid asset class "buckets" toward a TPA model where every dollar must compete for capital. This approach serves as a gateway to better sustainability practices by allowing investors to be more dynamic and use real-time information to meet their long-term goals.
Navigating the Net Zero Plateau through 3D Investing: While 52% of the top 100 asset owners have set net zero targets, new commitments have plateaued. But the challenges to universal owners from interconnected and systemic risks are prompting a shift toward "systems-level investing". This includes a 3D Investing framework that helps asset owners look beyond risk and return to consider the real-world impact their investments have on the systems they rely upon for future returns.
The Impact of Consolidation and Strategic Partnerships: Consolidation in markets like Australia and the UK is enabling asset owners to build greater internal capability and develop "smart partnerships" with asset managers, based on a shared view of the role of investment capital in driving sustainable growth. This scale allows large funds to be patient, selective, and act as a "critical friend" to their asset managers, ensuring deep alignment with the best long-term interests of their members.
Geopolitics and AI as Systemic Determinants: Geopolitics has shifted from being a mere driver of returns to a determinant of how the entire investment system functions. Simultaneously, asset owners are building "intelligence ecosystems" to embed AI into their processes, aiming to generate "organisational alpha" by combining technology with human culture and decision-making.
Embracing the Moonshot
The conversation concludes with a forward-looking assessment of the "Moonshot Challenge"—the idea that investment organisations must understand and address interconnected and systemic risks at source to thrive in an increasingly complex world. Despite a "plateauing" in the announcement of explicit commitments, there is a growing sense of optimism that major asset owners are becoming smarter, more creative, and more resilient in how they integrate sustainability into their investment decisions. By focusing on stewardship, collaboration, and a reset of how we define risk, the leaders of today’s US$30 trillion capital pool are moving into a position to not just navigate the future, but to actively shape it for the generations to come.
42 min
February 05 Risk, Return and Responsibility – Episode 7: Beyond Cost—The New Value Frontier for UK Pensions
Risk, Return and Responsibility—the monthly podcast from Sustainable Investor—provides institutional asset owners with the news and views shaping the sustainable investment landscape and our wider economic and social systems.
In this latest episode, former UK Pensions Minister Guy Opperman and Sustainable Investor Editorial Director Chris Hall are joined by Mike Ambery, Retirement Savings Director at Standard Life, part of the Phoenix Group.
Together, they explore the seismic shifts facing the UK retirement market as it transitions from a legacy of cost-containment toward a future defined by value, scale, and sustainable outcomes.
The discussion unpicks the upcoming Value for Money (VfM) framework and the Pension Schemes Bill, examining how performance metrics will reshape asset allocation and drive
industry consolidation. From the ‘herding’ risks seen in Australia to the impact of the
Mansion House Compact and shifting geopolitical attitudes toward ESG, the panel identifies the challenges of delivering ‘triple wins’ for government, consumers, and the planet.
Guests:
● Mike Ambery: Retirement Savings Director at Standard Life (Phoenix Group) and a prominent pensions market commentator.
● Guy Opperman: Former UK Pensions Minister and host.
● Chris Hall: Editor-in-Chief of Sustainable Investor.
Interview Highlights:
● Will the Value for Money (VfM) framework truly improve member outcomes? Ambery argues the core purpose of VfM is to improve individual outcomes by looking beyond just investment performance to include service quality. However, the industry must pivot from a cost-based system established in 2012 to one that prizes long-term value and sustainable investment strategies.
● Does the VfM framework conflict with sustainable investment goals? The panel expresses concern that a narrow focus on performance metrics could hinder sustainable investing if not properly implemented. Chris Hall notes that ‘forward-looking’ metrics must be independently assessed and paired with clearer guidance on fiduciary duty regarding systemic risks to ensure sustainability isn't sidelined by short-term data. To reach a ‘triple win’ by 2030, the panel suggests that VfM must be part of a broader package including industrial policy and stewardship.
● Does the Australian model risk creating a ‘herding’ mentality? While
consolidation is necessary for scale, Opperman warns that benchmark-driven performance tests can lead to "groupthink" as providers scramble to avoid being in the bottom percentile. Ambery agrees that while "sunlight is the best disinfectant", transparency must be paired with measures that reward diverse, productive asset allocation rather than mere imitation.
● Why is scale critical for the future of sustainable investment? To effectively deploy capital into private markets and sustainable solutions, Ambery suggests firms need significant scale—pointing to Phoenix Group’s £300 billion capacity as an example of what is required to support dedicated research and impact teams. He identifies A$25 billion as a potential minimum threshold for organisations to operate effectively.
● How will global policy trends, including the "Trump impact" affect the City? Despite political rhetoric reclassifying ESG in the US, Ambery believes the UK’s commitment to these factors remains pivotal. Chris Hall notes that as the US takes a differing view, there is an opportunity for a "middle way" led by the UK, EU, and Canada to drive a secure energy transition.
Thanks for joining us: If you like what you hear, you can subscribe to Sustainable Investor and this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred platform.
32 min
December 18, 2025 The Five Issues Shaping Sustainable Investment in 2026
In 2025’s final episode of Risk, Return and Responsibility, the monthly podcast from Sustainable Investor, former UK Pensions Minister Guy Opperman and Editorial Director Chris Hall are joined for an end-of-year reckoning by Dr Anthony Kirby, ex-Head of Regulation and Risk for Asset Management and Capital Markets in Europe at EY.

Together, they review 2025’s big themes and give their views on the questions that will determine sustainable investment returns and impacts 2026:

Is the ESG backlash gathering speed or petering out? With Donald Trump returning to the White House, new hurdles hampered investor scrutiny, while the Inflation Reduction Act was dismantled alongside many a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative. Meanwhile Europe took a scythe to sustainable investment regulation, as finance sector net zero commitments withered. Asset owners dug in, further integrating sustainability into their investment processes and doubling down on oversight of material financial risks - but do they need to do a better job of explaining and delivering outcomes?

Is the divide between asset owners and managers bigger than the Atlantic? Already under huge political and legal pressure, US asset managers faced even greater difficulties in 2025 - with new rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission making it harder to engage with portfolio companies, just as European asset owners underlined their commitment to climate stewardship. The fallout has been measured in lost mandates, but could litigation and retrenchment be on their way in 2026? Effective stewardship of assets could depend on a closing of gaps in both investment horizons and business cultures.

Can private markets deliver both returns and impact at an attractive cost? Institutional investors are increasingly turning to alternative assets to achieve tangible sustainable outcomes as well as superior returns. In markets such as the UK, governments also expect asset owners to achieve the scale to leverage these channels to drive growth too. In response, managers must deliver clear evidence that sustainable business models are driving value creation at every stage of the investment process. Are their reporting cycles, stewardship capabilities, cost and fund structures up to the job?

Will supply meet demand for nature-positive investment opportunities? Nature became a critical stewardship priority for asset owners in 2025 against a backdrop of mixed policy outcomes across plastic pollution, deforestation, and ocean protection. COP30 helped to put nature-related investments on the agenda as asset owners looked beyond measuring and managing risk to seeking out opportunities for returns. Will we see dedicated nature funds or rather nature being fully embedded into a wider range of investment decisions, with impact investment solutions remaining niche for now?

Can the upsides of the AI boom survive the downsides of a bust? Hopes for transformative productivity gains from AI innovation have allowed markets to face down all headwinds in 2025. Even so, investors wonder when returns will justify capex and whether ESG risks will be addressed. Despite the rising valuations, careful analysis is needed to invest in AI, its infrastructure and supply chain - and to identify the sectors using the technology to deliver higher returns. 2026 could also see more asset owners and managers deploying AI to deliver new insights into sustainability-related risks and opportunities.

34 min
December 02, 2025 Why do asset owners need to rethink financial wellbeing?
What does financial wellbeing really mean for pension members today?
For the latest episode of Sustainable Investor, Stuart Hall, Managing Director of Sustainable Media Group sat down with Blake Allison, founder and CEO of LifeCents, to look beyond the slogans and into the reality of how people behave with money.
Blake has spent more than twenty years working with major US employers and financial institutions on financial wellbeing programmes. What stood out in our discussion is how often the industry focuses on account balances and contribution rates, while members are dealing with day to day pressures that make long term decisions far harder than we admit.
We talked about:
• why financial wellbeing has moved beyond information and apps
• what under 35s actually prioritise when money is tight
• the growing gap in retirement readiness for over 50s
• how members really think about sustainability and returns
• why generic “save more” messages no longer work
• and how pension funds can rebuild trust by treating people as people, not data points
Blake’s perspective is practical and grounded, and it challenges some of the assumptions we make as an industry.
If you work in pensions, asset management or financial wellbeing, this conversation is worth your time.

Visit LifeCents to find out more: LifeCents | Audience – Asset Managers
33 min
November 27, 2025 Will Brussels and Belém boost the nature-positive, net zero transition
In this episode, we explore the likely impacts on asset owners’ climate and nature exposures of reforms to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation and developments at COP30; also looking forward to the next steps for natural capital accounting and universal ownership.

Risk, Return and Responsibility – the monthly podcast from Sustainable Investor - aims to provide institutional asset owners with news and views shaping both the sustainable investment landscape and our wider economic, environmental and social systems. In each episode, Chris Hall, Editorial Director of Sustainable Investor, will be joined by co-hosts to discuss the biggest recent stories, and to round up some you might have missed. We will also be conducting deeper interviews with influential asset owners and others on the practical challenges of balancing risk, return and responsibility. To wrap up each episode, we will look back at some of the bigger stories covered recently by Sustainable Investor, also looking forward to the most significant upcoming developments, again with expert input from our co-hosts.

Co-hosts: Guy Opperman, the UK’s longest-serving Pensions Minister & Chair of Sustainable Investor's editorial board; and Hortense Bioy, Head of Sustainable Investing Research, Morningstar Sustainalytics.

News round-up: Following the release of ‘SFDR 2.0’, Hortense estimates the assets likely to be captured by the new transition fund category and forecasts a potential boost to engagement efforts, while Guy argues that simplification in Brussels should be heeded in Belém and beyond to secure buy-in for essential climate policy shifts. Signs of a greater integration of nature and climate in policy and investment decisions at COP30 are dissected (and broadly welcomed), while the repositioning of the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative - now prioritising transparency, scenario analysis, and engagement frameworks over rigid commitments - are seen as posing challenges for asset owners (Hortense) while reducing legal risk (Guy).

The Three Rs interview: Mark Gough, CEO of the Capitals Coalition, explains why asset owners should consider natural capital a core determinant of long-term value and shares his experiences and takeaways from COP30, outlining why he expects natural capital to be a bigger part of the policy conversation in future. He also highlights why he sees accounting standards as a critical tool for increasing the visibility of nature on the balance sheet.

Review / Preview: Finally Guy and Hortense return to dig a little deeper into some recent reports from leading asset owners on the challenges and opportunities of universal ownership, and the pros and cons of a system-level approach to stewardship. Do asset owners have the resources and data to support their ambitions? What kinds of outcomes and interventions will justify this shift of emphasis away from company-focused engagement?

Thanks for joining us: If you like what you hear, you can also subscribe to Sustainable Investor, subscribe to this podcast and find further information in the show notes, where you can also find our contact details. We'd love to hear your ideas as we plan future episodes.

Links to news items discussed:

Greenwashing Risks Remain Under Europe’s SFDR 2.0
https://sustainableinvestor.online/live/greenwashing-risks-remain-under-europes-sfdr-2-0/
SFDR Expected to Introduce Dedicated Transition Funds
https://sustainableinvestor.online/qa-will-brussels-re-boot-transform-the-transition/
SFDR Challenges Increased by Omnibus Package
https://sustainableinvestor.online/live/omnibus-vote-throws-sfdr-review-into-doubt/
UN Climate Talks Fail to Secure New Fossil Fuel Promises
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75vn7yel73o
COP30 has Racked up an Impressive Scorecard of Real-world Climate Actions
https://unfccc.int/news/cop30-has-racked-up-an-impressive-scorecard-of-real-world-climate-actions-that-will-also-mean
COP30 Approves Belem Package
https://cop30.br/en/news-about-cop30/cop30-approves-belem-package1#
NZAM: Ready for its Next Chapter
https://www.netzeroassetmanagers.org/nzam-ready-for-its-next-chapter/
NZAM Updates Signatory Requirements and Acknowledges “What has Always Been the Case”
https://www.ropesgray.com/en/insights/viewpoints/102lrmz/nzam-updates-signatory-requirements-and-acknowledges-what-has-always-been-the-ca
Net Zero Sometime: NZAM Scraps 2050 Target
https://www.netzeroinvestor.net/news-and-views/net-zero-sometime-nzam-scraps-2050-target
TFFF “an Arrow in the Quiver, not a Silver Bullet”
https://sustainableinvestor.online/tfff-an-arrow-in-the-quiver-not-a-silver-bullet/
MDBs’ New Approach to Financing Nature https://onestopesg.com/esg-news/mdbs-new-approach-to-financing-nature-1763521846737 ISSB to Lead on Nature Reporting, Plans COP17 Release https://sustainableinvestor.online/live/issb-to-lead-on-nature-reporting-plans-cop17-release/ New Sovereign Debt Nature Assessment Model Open for Consultation https://www.financeforbiodiversity.org/publications/new-sovereign-debt-nature-assessment-model-and-a-call-for-feedback/
Reaching $120 Billion in International Adaptation Finance Is Possible
https://www.wri.org/insights/tripling-adaptation-finance-goal
Universal Ownership: From Theory to Practice
https://sustainableinvestor.online/from-theory-to-practice/
What Does it Look Like for Asset Owners to Lead Right Now
https://issuu.com/wespath/docs/system_level_sustainability_opportunity_and_risk_1
[email protected]

42 min
November 13, 2025Australia’s ‘Super’-charged Renewables Transition
In this ‘interview-only’ episode, we explore the role of Australia’s superannuation funds in the country’s embrace of clean energy, with Jeremy Cooper and David Bell of the Conexus Institute.
Risk, Return and Responsibility – the monthly podcast from Sustainable Investor – aims to provide institutional asset owners with news and views shaping both the sustainable investment landscape and our wider economic, environmental and social systems.
In this episode, Guy Opperman, the UK’s longest-serving Pensions Minister & Chair of Sustainable Investor’s editorial board, reports from Sydney, on the barriers facing Australia’s US$2.8 trillion superannuation sector in supporting the country’s net zero transition.
In discussion with David Bell and Jeremy Cooper of the Conexus Institute, Guy finds out whether regulation and policy are giving supers the right incentives to invest sustainably, why so much capital is flowing into overseas infrastructure, and how Australia’s path to net zero could be different from other developed economies.
Guests: David Bell, Executive Director, Conexus Institute, a research organisation focused on improving Australia’s superannuation and retirement systems, and a former CIO of Mine Super. Jeremy Cooper, Chair of the Advisory Board, Conexus Institute, former deputy chair of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Australia’s financial regulator and author of the government’s review of the super system.
Interview highlights:
What are Australian pension funds and their regulators getting right – and wrong – about sustainable investing? Regulators have issued strong guidance on managing climate risk, and mandatory disclosures start next year. Yet, with no legal mandate or firm targets, super funds face little official pressure to decarbonise portfolios despite high public expectations.

Why are funds not investing locally to reduce emissions? Despite vast renewable potential, most Australian super funds still prefer overseas infrastructure, particularly in the UK. A limited pipeline of investable domestic projects and benchmark-driven performance tests deter local climate investment, sending capital offshore while Australia needs it most.

Can Australia reach net zero on renewables alone – and become a clean energy exporter? According to Jeremy Cooper, abundant solar, strong wind and the world’s largest batteries mean Australia could meet its energy needs without nuclear. Major solar and hydrogen projects in the Northern Territory point to a future where Australia powers both itself and its neighbours with renewables.

Will government policy help decarbonise – including through a transition taxonomy? The government’s proposed transition taxonomy and investment incentives aim to crowd in private capital, but progress is slow. Super funds still lack transition plans and consistent carbon pricing, and clear policy signals are needed to unlock large-scale green investment.

What can other countries learn from Australia’s pension system? David Bell notes that Australia’s experience shows how performance tests and value-for-money rules can unintentionally discourage climate-aligned investment. The lesson for others: build forward-looking frameworks that reward long-term sustainability, not just short-term returns.
Thanks for joining us: If you like what you hear, you can also subscribe to Sustainable Investor, subscribe to this podcast, where you can also find our contact details. We’d love to hear your ideas as we plan future episodes.

For more info or to sponsor contact [email protected]
25 min

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