The tide might be turning as Environment-al, Social and Governance (ESG) issues are increasingly coming to the fore both in the wider burning / flooding / windswept world and within the pensions industry. Given the amount of money invested*, an engaged UK pensions industry occupies a unique position to influence behaviour at the vanguard of combatting climate change.

* In 2018, British pension assets were £2.2 trillion, equivalent to 99%

of GDP; occupational pension schemes account for £1.6 trillion.

There is evidence that sections of Government are listening: new amendments to the Pension Schemes Bill, proposed by Baroness Stedman-Scott (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the DWP), could impose major new requirements to enforce good governance of climate change risks by occupational pension schemes.

The Pensions Act 1995 could be amended so that regulations could "impose requirements on the trustees or managers of an occupational pension scheme of a prescribed description with a view to securing that there is effective governance of the scheme with respect to the effects of climate change" - in particular, effects in relation to risks arising from steps taken because of climate change, and opportunities relating to climate . . .

14 Feb 2020   Check other news items