In pictures: NZI’s Nature Positive Investment Forum
Picture highlights from Net Zero Investor's second Nature Positive Investment Forum
Mona Dohle
Brunel to vote against Exxon’s board
Brunel Pension Partnership has announced that it will vote against all all management resolutions at the forthcoming Exxon AGM in response to the oil firm's legal threats against shareholders
Why universal owners need modest objectives
Tom Gosling, executive fellow at London Business School argues that by aiming for less, asset owners can achieve more as universal owners
Nature Positive Investment Forum: a call for ambition
First impressions from Net Zero Investor's second Nature Positive Investment Forum held at the London Stock Exchange
Shell’s lead investor to back climate resolution
MN, Climate Action 100+ lead investor for Shell has confirmed that it will back a climate resolution put forward at this year’s AGM
Trustees must take an ‘always on’ approach to TCFD reporting
With the UK pensions regulator reviewing climate risk disclosures, Lara Rutty, director at Cardano examines how trustees gain a better understanding of climate risks in their portfolios
‘CalPERS will not be silenced’ pension fund CEO warns Exxon Mobil
CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost has issued a stark warning to US oil giant Exxon, stressing that shareholders would not be silenced on climate change
Rebellion brewing as Exxon targets shareholder dissent with No Action requests
Oil giant Exxon Mobil has successfully filed a No Action Request against a resolution put forward by As You Sow, but shareholders are now calling to vote against the board
CalPERS’ Cohen takes lead of Climate Action 100+ governing committee
Michael Cohen, chief operating investment officer of the at $462.8bn US pension fund CalPERS has been appointed as chair of the Steering Committee for the investor coalition Climate Action 100+
How bond markets can battle nature loss
Josephine Richardson, head of Research at the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute examines how investors can steer nature positive outcomes in their bond holdings
How are the Granola stocks scoring on climate?
European stock market growth has been dominated by a handful of companies dubbed the “Granolas”, how are they scoring on net zero?
Carbon credits in the spotlight of SBTi row
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is embroiled in a row over carbon credits, with some staff calling on their CEO to resign
Pension academic calls for common reporting standard on emissions in Dutch portfolios
While most major pension funds have now adopted net zero targets, a common measure of emissions at portfolio level is still lacking argues Arun Muralidhar, who has examined the carbon footprints of Dutch pension fund portfolios
2024 proxy season: key energy AGMs to watch out for
What are the key shareholder resolutions at energy firms that climate-conscious investors should be keeping an eye on this proxy season?
Should climate engagement be focused on oil companies or governments?
Jason Fletcher, former CIO at London CIV argues that while both shareholder and policy engagement have their merits, investors should not discount the potential impact of engaging with companies
Dutch pension industry lobbies coalition talks on climate
Coalition talks in the Netherlands could pose headwinds for the country´s energy transition. Leading representatives of the Dutch pension industry are now urging to make climate a priority
Research spotlight: how are major oil and gas firms scoring on transition planning?
Some of the world’s largest listed oil and gas firms have come under fire for insufficiently preparing for the energy transition. Research reveals significant divergence between firms, who are the leaders and laggards?
Swiss pension funds face stewardship misalignment challenge
Swiss asset owners find that their stewardship priorities are not always replicated by their managers
Timing peak oil: are we heading for a delayed or timely transition?
Analysts are deeply divided when global demand for oil is likely to peak. NZI examines why asset owners are still struggling to manage the uncertainty around the transition timeline
Dutch pension giant joins forces with co-operatives to bet on North Sea wind
Europe’s largest pension fund, the Dutch public sector fund ABP plans to open its North Sea energy development Noordzeker to more than 700 energy cooperatives
Is the dominance of the magnificent seven bad news for your carbon footprint?
Could US stock market concentration become a stumbling block on the road to net zero?
EU firms under pressure to enhance climate transition plans as CSDDD passes
New EU rules could trigger fines for firms with insufficient climate transition plans legal experts warn
Shell under fire from investors for banking on delayed transition
Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell has come under fire for dropping its short-term emission reduction targets, campaigners suggests the firm is anticipating a delayed energy transition.
NZI Renewable Infrastructure Forum in pictures
Net Zero Investor brough together senior investors for DC, DB, LGPS funds to discuss new strategies to invest in the energy transition
Franco-Swiss alliance to scrutinise corporate climate plans ahead of AGM season
Swiss and French investors are casting a critical eye on corporate stewardship reports in a bit to enhance accountability ahead of the 2024 AGM season, Ethos Foundation revealed
SEC adopts watered-down climate disclosure rule: a ‘mixed bag for investors’
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has voted to adopt a watered-down version of its climate disclosure rule but dropped reporting requirements, the move was welcomed by investors who said more needs to be done
Strategic overhaul at the People’s Pension: £15bn invested in climate tilted stocks
The People’s Pension, one of the UK’s largest private workplace pension providers has introduced an overhaul of its investment strategy, with more than half of its assets to be invested in climate aware equity strategies
Canada’s public pension funds are moving too slowly to address the climate crisis
Canada's largest pension fund still have catching up to do when it comes to tackling the climate crisis argues Patrick de Rochie, senior manager at Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health
CA100+ exits: asset owners double down on stewardship alignment
While some of the world’s largest managers have publicly retreated from CA100+, asset owners reiterate their commitment to tackling climate change and stress the importance of stewardship alignment with managers
Climate Action 100+ exits- a crisis of stewardship?
Climate Action 100+ exits and the Exxon case against shareholders raise the question: can asset owners still exercise influence over climate transition planning at oil and gas firms?
NY Common Retirement Fund cuts fossil fuel holdings
The New York State Common Retirement Fund has announced divestments in eight oil and gas companies whilst doubling its investments in climate solutions
Is now the time to reconsider your passive exposure to fossil fuels?
Despite a short-term profit boost, fossil fuel stocks have dragged down global equity indices, as the energy transition picks up pace, their outlook is even gloomier
Exxon investors warn of dilution of shareholder rights
Norges Bank Investment Management, a significant investor in US oil giant Exxon has raised concerns about the dilution of shareholder rights following Exxon’s decision to take two investors to court
Not all roads lead to Paris: PFZW on navigating climate risks and engagement strategies
Colin Tissen, advisor responsible investment at PGGM, the asset manager for Dutch pension fund PFZW explains why the fund has opted to drastically cut its investments in fossil fuels
Why we should abandon climate engagement with oil and gas firms
Joel Moreland, principal consultant Social and Environmental Finance argues that there is little benefit in engaging with oil and gas firms on climate targets
Shareholder victory: Barclays to cease funding new fossil fuel projects
Barclays, one of the five largest banks in Europe has confirmed today that it will no longer fund new oil and gas projects, a move that was welcomed by activist shareholders
Dutch pension fund divests €2.8bn from Shell, BP and other fossil fuel firms
PFZW, the €237.8bn pension fund for workers in the Dutch healthcare and welfare sector has confirmed that it has now sold off the bulk of its fossil fuel holdings, including positions in Shell, BP and Total Energies
Climate risks ‘financially material’ to fiduciary duty Law Committee tells trustees
Climate change is a financially material factor which trustees should consider as part of their fiduciary duty, a UK committee advising investors on financial law has argued
Climate transition funds defy private equity fundraising slump
While private equity has had a challenging year as fundraising slumped to a six-year low, funds banking on the energy transition appear to beat the odds
NZI DC Forum in pictures
Delegates representing some of the UK's largest master trusts took place in the one day event to discuss how defined contribution funds can tackle climate change in their portfolios
NZI DC Forum: funding the transition
Net Zero Investor’s second Defined Contribution (DC) Forum drew a broad array of investors to the London Stock Exchange to discuss how DC funds are adapting their portfolios to the energy transition
Morningstar’s Bioy: “Investors increasingly understand the need to finance transition companies”
Hortense Bioy, global director of Sustainability Research at Morningstar sat down with NZI editor Mona Dohle to examine why investors are turning from low carbon to energy transition funds and if the US elections could become a stumbling block on the road to net zero
The energy transition doesn’t require a surge in capex but a reallocation
The energy transition is often presented as extremely costly but Kingsmill Bond and Sam Butler-Sloss at the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argue that this is not necessarily true
How to attract more DC investment in productive finance and the energy transition
Paul Tinslay, a professional trustee at Dalriada examines steps the UK government could take to attract more DC investment in the energy transition
Exxon’s case against activist shareholders highlights new stewardship challenges
Oil giant Exxon Mobil is taking its shareholders to court over their climate activist resolution for this year’s AGM. What are the implications for climate stewardship?
Wiltshire’s Jennifer Devine: Why we will divest from fossil fuels
Jennifer Devine, head of the Wiltshire Pension Fund, a £3bn UK local authority pension fund explains why her team made the decision to sell all oil and gas firms by 2030
Follow This ditches 2030 deadline ahead of Shell AGM
Campaign group Follow This has revealed that its resolution for the 2024 Shell AGM will abandon a hard date for interim targets and focus on the broader adoption of Scope 3 reporting
COP28’s ‘action agenda’ signposts five key areas of long-term investment opportunity
Imraan Mohammed, Climate Opportunities portfolio manager at Border to Coast examines why the COP28 pledges could offer significant tailwinds for the energy transition
Swedish pension giant in the firing line over Saudi Aramco holding
Swedish pension fund AP7, which manages around $87.6bn in assets, has come under criticism from environmental campaigners over its investments in Saudi Aramco
Why we urgently need to reform investor compensation rules to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels
Anatole Boute, professor at the Chinese University Hong Kong specialising in Energy Law argues that current investor compensation rules do not yet accurately value the cost of the energy transition
Brightwell’s Wyn Francis: ‘the transition is on the verge of accelerating’
As part of our new podcast series, NZI with Mona, Net Zero Investor sat down with Brightwell CIO Wyn Francis to discuss the challenges of decarbonising a fixed-income heavy portfolio.
Jason Fletcher on climate investment: aligning government policy with investor aspirations
Jason Fletcher, former CIO at London CIV examines how the next UK government could scale up investment in the energy transition
How are the UK’s master trusts tackling the net zero challenge?
The UK's rapidly growing master trust market could become a key player in the transition towards a net zero economy
New FCA sustainability rules won’t deliver accountability for climate harm
Mick McAteer co-director at the Financial Inclusion Centre and former FCA board member argues that the UK watchdog's sustainability disclosure and investment label regime will not be enough to hold investors accountable for climate harm
Dirty debt: rising yields put spotlight on carbon footprint of bond portfolios
Rising interest rates have led to increased institutional allocations in fixed income assets but this also raises concerns about decarbonisation strategies for bond portfolios
UK asset owners join London CIV’s call for wider adoption of pass-through voting
A coalition of investors representing over £250 billion in assets has teamed up with LGPS pool London CIV to call for a wider adoption of pass-through voting by asset managers
In pictures: highlights from Net Zero Investor’s Annual Conference
Net Zero Investors Annual Conference took place at the London Stock Exchange this week, attracting senior investors to discuss the future of net zero investing
Row over fossil fuel language – COP28 ‘on the verge of failure’
Leaked policy documents from COP28 reveal that fossil fuel pledges have been watered to 'phaseout' rather than 'phasedown', why does the row over a word matter to investors?
NZI Annual Conference: a turning point for the energy transition
Net Zero Investor’s second Annual Conference at the London Stock Exchange in London demonstrated a strong sense that the global energy transition has now hit a crucial turning point
Transition planning takes centre stage at COP28
In the wake of Finance Day at COP28, investor coalitions on climate change took the opportunity to outline their guidelines on transition planning
COP28 day one: the key talking points
With COP28 kicking off in Dubai, Net Zero Investor took a closer look at the key investment and finance themes on the agenda
COP 28 trade deal scandal highlights presidency’s conflict of interest
Leaked documents suggest that COP president Sultan Al Jaber used his role to strike new oil and gas deals but also attempts to gain influence in renewables markets
Tony Juniper: “The human economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of nature”
Net Zero Investor sat down with Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England to discuss the long-term case for nature positive investments
UK’s Autumn Statement: five net zero talking points
The UK government is betting on investment incentives rather than stimulus to attract net zero investment. We took a look at five key talking points for green investors in this year's Autumn Statement
Chandra Gopinathan on bondholder stewardship: ‘We have to create new accountability mechanisms’
With bonds making a comeback, Net Zero Investor spoke to Railpen's Chandra Gopinathan about his efforts to create greater accountability on climate targets for bond issuers
COP28: could investors be hit by a sudden phaseout of fossil fuel subsidies?
Ahead of COP28, Net Zero Investor takes a closer look at the distribution of subsidies across the globe. To reach global climate change targets a scale back of subsidies is essential. But could this impact the investment case for these assets?
CalPERS doubles climate solutions: ‘The first objective is to create outperformance’
CalPERS, the largest public pension fund in the US is planning a significant overhaul of its climate strategy, including doubling its investments in climate solutions by the end of the decade
Higher rates pose challenge for renewables
As developers pull out of wind projects in the US and UK, how can investors in renewables protect themselves in an increasingly challenging environment?
UK investors debate how to fund the energy transition amid a cost-of-living crisis
Investors are divided on how to tackle the UK’s energy transition, and the role of policy makers in leading the net zero agenda
PLSA: will the UK’s push to invest in private markets lead to more investments in renewables?
The British government has targeted the defined contribution sector and the LGPS as key potential investors to fund the country’s energy transition, but the move is facing challenges
The rise of split voting– is the onus now on asset owners?
Does the growth of split voting options mean that the onus for climate stewardship is now on asset owners?
Stranded assets: The trillion-dollar decommissioning challenge
The cost of decommissioning stranded assets could be as high as $8 trillion across conventional and renewable energy sources, new research suggests
Wandsworth Pension fund director: ‘Net zero investment can’t be one size fits all’
Paul Guilliotti, assistant director Financial Services at Richmond and Wandsworth Councils in the UK tells Net Zero Investor about Wandsworth's infrastructure investments
NZAOA calls on policy makers to remove net zero barriers: ‘we know this can be done’
Olga Hancock and Matt Holmes of the NZAOA argue it is vital investment barriers are eliminated in order to boost net zero implementation
Smart Pension CIO on investing £550m in split voting and branching out to climate solutions
Net Zero Investor caught up with Paul Bucksey, CIO of the £4bn UK master trust Smart Pension, as the fund announces a seed investment to enable split voting
UK’s net zero u-turn raises challenges for transition assets
With the UK government set to backtrack on its net zero ambitions, have investments in the UK energy transition just become less attractive?
PGGM: ‘Effective stewardship is vital for net zero commitments’
Geraldine Leegwater, Chief Investment Management at PGGM and her colleague Colin Tissen, advisor Responsible Investment argue that asset managers should step up their came on climate stewardship
PRI’s Nathan Fabian on transition pain points and rethinking investor alliances
Net Zero Investor sat down with Nathan Fabian to find out why he thinks net zero networks need to change their strategy
California’s new climate bill sets precedent for US carbon reporting
The Californian State Legislature has pushed ahead of the Securities and Exchange Commission by passing a bill that forces big companies to disclose their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
BERS’ investment lead: ‘climate change is an un-diversifiable risk’
Antonio Rodriguez leads the investment office about NYC BERS. He sat down with Net Zero Investor to discuss divestment, diversification and the anti-ESG pushback
Stalemate on G20 climate talks as fossil fuel subsidies surge
G20 leaders fail to agree on climate pledges - could this be an obstacle to investments in renewables?
Tegs Harding: it’s time to shift perspectives on engagement
Tegs Harding, trustee director and head of sustainability at IGG, argues that corporate backtracking on climate change means investors need to change their approach
NZI Roundtable: greening DC default funds
The UK’s rapidly growing defined contribution market could play a key role in the country’s transition to net zero. NZI caught up with four DC investors to discuss climate strategies for DC default funds
One year on: are US investors banking on the Inflation Reduction Act?
Biden's Inflation Reduction Act has sparked an investment boom in renewable energy in the US. So, one year on, are asset owners capitalising on the opportunity?
Surrey Pension Fund: “There’s a balance of power shift on net zero”
Net Zero Investor sat down with Lloyd Whitworth, head of Investment and Stewardship and Neil Mason, assistant director for the Surrey Pension Fund to discuss their new net zero target
‘The wrong signal’: investors respond to the UK’s fossil fuel push
The UK government has announced plans to back the further expansion of fossil fuel industries. What does this mean for investors in renewable energy?
UK Stewardship stocktake: Engagement in emerging markets
UK investors exchange ideas and experience on stewardship in emerging markets
Merciless exodus: what do NZIA’s departures mean for decarbonising insurance liabilities?
Insurers have been leaving the Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance (NZIA) in droves. This raises concerns over the carbon footprint of their liabilities
London CIV’s responsible investment head sees ‘a disconnect between asset owners and managers’
Jacqueline Jackson, head of responsible investment at LGPS Pool London CIV, speaks to NZI about differences between asset owners and managers when it comes to stewardship
Something synthetic: Why Avon picked BlackRock for its climate equities strategy
Avon Pension Fund surprised last week with an announcement that it has invested some £700m with BlackRock’s Paris-aligned equity solution
Bold ambition: Phoenix sets itself on a path to decarbonise £310bn in assets
UK insurance giant Phoenix has launched its Net Zero Transition Plan, illustrating the challenges for Solvency II regulated businesses to reduce their carbon footprint
Shell’s scope 3 emissions face scrutiny in fractious AGM
Shell's 2023 AGM drew focus on the oil giant's energy transition strategy but shareholders rejected a resolution demanding clearer commitments for Scope 3 emission targets.
Stewardship and engagement: the passive funds conundrum
The three biggest shareholders in oil and gas firms are passive fund managers. What does this mean for stewardship on climate change?
Shell’s upcoming AGM showcases the challenges for shareholder activism
Activist asset owners are gearing up to oppose the reappointment of Shell’s chair and challenge over shortcomings in the oil giant’s climate targets