Pensions For Purpose: How to make pensions a catalyst for positive change

n addition to its net zero by 2050 target, the UK Government has also set an ambitious target to decarbonise the electricity system by 2035.  In order to reach this target, many different sectors will have to come together – from governments, to corporates, to civil society and, of course, investors. 

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, our hosts Laasya Shekaran and Charlotte O’Leary speak to Raza Ali of AlphaReal about how investors are both needed for and can benefit from the energy transition.  We dive into the role that private markets play in helping investors meet th...

Laasya Shekaran welcomes Lindsay Hooper of the University of Cambridge, to the Podcast to discuss why sustainable finance hasn’t delivered the progress needed.

Sustainable Finance has been around for a while, but we still haven’t seen enough progress to tackle the immense systemic issues we face. If we do not address these problems directly, we risk witnessing environmental and social destruction, ultimately leading to total economic collapse.

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, our hosts Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles speak to Lindsay Hooper, CEO of the Cambridge Institute for Sust...

Laasya Shekaran and David Brown welcome Judith Mackenzie of Downing, to the Podcast to discuss investing in the UK.

Initiatives like the Mansion House Compact II and an increased focus on place-based investing all point to one clear government objective – channelling more pension capital into investments supporting UK growth. But what does that actually look like in practice? How can pension schemes invest in the UK in a way that delivers positive, impactful and sustainable outcomes for the UK economy?

In this episode, our hosts Laasya Shekaran and David Brown are joined by Judith Mackenzie, Pa...

‘ESG’ has become increasingly politicised as a concept, and investors have seen a backlash towards this term.  This has been particularly strong in the US, given recent political developments, which has led investors to ask how they should be engaging with this part of the market.  

In this episode, our hosts Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles are joined by Will Pomroy, Head of Impact Engagement Equities at Federated Hermes to help investors answer these questions. 

They discuss what has led to the ESG backlash, what we can learn from it and how we can make sure en...

Many investors, corporates and even countries have net zero targets – but how will they achieve these goals?  Carbon markets are inevitably going to part of the answer.   

In this episode, our host Laasya Shekaran is joined by Nick Gaskell and Fraser Green, Sustainable Investment Manager and Head of Natural Capital Investment at Aberdeen Investments. 

In a conversation that ranges from the basics of carbon markets, to understanding local communities and looking to the future, the team bring the discussion around to why asset owners should spend time understanding carbon markets and the opportunity set that exists...

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, Laasya Shekaran and David Brown speak to Richard Tomlinson, CIO of LPPI – one of the UK’s local government pension scheme (LGPS) pools.

They talk about the many dimensions of diversity and how not all forms are visible. From personal reflections on their own backgrounds – to the importance of recognising class and social mobility as important elements of inclusion, this episode dives into what it means to value people with different perspectives.

They also tackle the backlash facing diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), exploring how to res...

Investment opportunities to support decarbonisation exist across the value chain and are particularly prevalent in private markets. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose Podcast, Laasya Shekaran and Monique Stephens speak to Lindee Wong, Director of Climate and Biodiversity at Tikehau Capital, about how the just transition and biodiversity should be considered as part of the decarbonisation process, they also examine how the broader ecosystem needs to change to support the transition. 

Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles welcome Dan Mikulskis of People's Partnership, to the podcast to discuss the realistic influence of asset owners and how acknowledging the limitations can help unlock its full potential impact. 

In this Pensions for Purpose Podcast, hosts Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles speak to Dan Mikulskis, CIO of the People’s Pension about how asset owners can best use their influence. 
 
They discuss the changes in dynamics being seen in the pensions market, including how the move to a smaller number of large, sophisticated asset owners could enhance their influence in the i...

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. Fi...

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...

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 ch...

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...

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...

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-z...

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 m...

Truly purpose-driven organisations have coherent management systems and a healthy corporate culture, which create value for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

In this episode our hosts, Charlotte Moore and Karen Shackleton, are joined by Stuart Woollard, Co-Founder of the Maturity Institute, to discuss how to diagnose organisational maturity and how this methodology can be used to measure the impact of the health of a human organisation. Starting with an overview and definition of organisational maturity and why a human context is necessary to understand the value and risk a company brings, they consider how this holistic approach...

Charlotte Moore, David Brown and Stephen Levesque discuss all things trees, including the importance of healthy, resilient forests.

Each forestry property varies, with a different range of species and its own mosaic of natural areas that can be managed to create as much complexity as possible in the landscape.

In the episode, our hosts Charlotte Moore and David Brown are joined by Stephen Levesque, Managing Director of Forest Operations at Campbell Global, a J.P. Morgan company.

In a conversation that ranges from biologists and owls to tortoises and Viking ships, the team...

In this episode our hosts Charlotte Moore and Charlotte O'Leary are joined by Tom Williams, Head of Energy and Infrastructure at Downing LLP. They start by discussing the challenges posed by geographies and how different countries are progressing in their switch to renewables, and end with the role pension schemes can play in the transition to sustainable energy, passing through energy distribution, what matters to pension schemes, the electrification of shipping and aviation, and their feelings about the new Government's plans for UK infrastructure, along the way. 

Charlotte Moore talks to Richard Giles, Senior Director and Head of Community at Pensions for Purpose, about his journey to impact investment.

How did an actuary, who got involved in community football make the leap to championing impact investment? 

In this episode, Charlotte Moore talks to Richard Giles about how his involvement in a local football club deepened his concerns about climate change, shaped his values and led to him working with Pensions for Purpose. He also talks about what his role means to him and the power of UK pensions sector when it works t...

Have you ever wondered if impact investing is a misunderstood concept? In this episode, our hosts Charlotte Moore and Charlotte O'Leary delve into the issue of impact investing today with Pierre Abadie, Group Climate Director at Tikehau Capital. 

Listen to the wide-ranging discussion covering fiduciary responsibility and double materiality, the distinction between impact and transition, impact frameworks, and how pension schemes can stack capital for positive investments.

Biodiversity and nature are critical for our ecosystem and economy. In this episode, the P4P Podcast team are joined by Robert Gardner of Rebalance Earth, to understand how nature is vital for supporting life. From pollinators to elephants, the 70% reduction in biodiversity since 1970 is a huge concern with major consequences.

Listen to our hosts Charlotte Moore and Richard Giles discuss with Rob the scale of the challenge, the importance of allocating a financial value to nature in order to make it an investable asset, and the role pension schemes can play in restoring nature...

To open the new Pensions for Purpose Podcast series – ‘How to make pensions a catalyst for positive change' – our host, Charlotte Moore, an experienced investment journalist, is joined by Pension for Purpose’s CEO, Charlotte O'Leary for a conversation about the firm's mission to embed environmental and social impact into institutional investment, through fostering a deeper understanding of systems thinking and resilience.

The two Charlotte’s explore how these concepts can reshape the way pension funds operate, emphasising the importance of shifting beliefs and values to drive positive change.