Susanna Rust
Regular contributor
NewsFrance’s FRR ramps up equities as investment horizon extended
Pension reserve fund estimates a median €1.8bn in extra value creation by 2033
NewsPEPP ‘failure’ fix and other pension priorities for new EU cycle
PensionsEurope also says pension funds ‘increasingly and incorrectly framed by EU legislation as providing products sold to consumers or customers’
NewsPensionsEurope ‘deplores’ undifferentiated EIOPA greenwashing approach
Industry body also said it fears EIOPA’s proposed stance could lead to greenhushing
NewsFinance groups call for delay of SFDR technical changes given broader review
Efama, together with banking and insurance associations, pleads for coordination between RTS adoption and overarching review of SFDR
Opinion PiecesReasons to be cheerful in ESG-land
In 1979 Ian Dury, an influential British musician, released a song called ‘Reasons to be Cheerful, Pt 3’, which quickly became a classic. Let us consider why the world of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing offers grounds for good cheer in the year ahead, even if it is not as rousing as the song.
AnalysisSustainable finance: outlook and trends for 2024
Transition finance is expected to be one significant theme in 2024 as net-zero regulations come into force
NewsPension funds call on ISS to step up on climate proxy voting advice
Investors raise concerns about inconsistencies and lack of specific net-zero policy in IIGCC-coordinated letter
NewsESG roundup: Just eight get top Morningstar commitment mark
Plus: ISS benchmark policy survey; More UK Stewardship Code signatories; MSCI pursues generative AI solutions
NewsTNFD to develop blueprint for public pool for nature-related data
Data ‘should not be kept behind paywalls or in proprietary systems’
FeaturesSeeking clarity as stakeholders shine a light on ESG ratings
There is confusion about the objectives of ESG ratings and any regulation needs to be clear about what it is trying to achieve and for whom
Country ReportUK: Behind the pooling figures for local government pensions
Comparing the cost savings of the eight local government pension scheme pools is a complex exercise
NewsEC follows through with derivatives exclusion in final SFDR RTS
Exposures through derivatives not allowed to be reported as sustainable elements of strategy
- Special Report
SDG reporting: Beyond SDG-washing
Only thorough processes and due diligence can make sense of the welter of claims and frameworks by companies using the SDGs as a reporting tool
Special ReportManager Selection: A new guide to the future
Past performance is an unreliable guide to future success. Might the corporate culture of asset managers offer better foresight?
FeaturesShare buybacks: Bringing it back in-house
The corporate policy of share buybacks received a boost with the US tax cut, but are they an efficient use of excess capital or a means to further enhance executive remuneration and entrench societal inequality?
- News
Lawyers warn on political influence over public funds after UK court ruling
Palestine Solidarity Campaign to consider appeal against court decision
FeaturesShort Selling: The long and the short
Earlier this year, the UK politician Peter Kyle described BlackRock as “schizophrenic” for holding both long and short positions in Carillion, a London-listed construction company that went bankrupt in January.
- News
Carillion: Trustee chair quizzed over pension contribution deferrals
Robin Ellison told a parliamentary enquiry that the trustees had been in “robust” negotiations with Carillion for years
Country ReportUK pensions: Running the rule on costs
A large proportion of institutional investors’ costs remains opaque. Will a new UK initiative change this?
