admin 
Congress could vote as soon as this week on a Republican resolution to overturn a Department of Labor ESG rule for retirement plans, while House and Senate Democrats recently introduced legislation to protect the regulation. Neither effort is likely to overcome Capitol Hill gridlock. In November, the DOL promulgated a regulation that allows plan fiduciaries to consider … Read more
The UK government-mandated Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) is calling on financial firms and real-economy companies to publish their transition plans this year and is asking for input on the feature that tests out transition planning. At an event today at the Guildhall in the City of London, TPT co-chairs Amanda Blanc (pictured), Aviva CEO, and … Read more
Canadian investors may be interpreting their legal duties in ways that discourage them from considering sustainability impact goals, the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) has found. Canadian investment law permits, and in some circumstances requires, investors to consider pursuing improved sustainability outcomes as a means to achieve financial returns and protect financial value, but narrow … Read more
Money into US sustainable funds fell to its lowest level in seven years in 2022 after a fossil fuel energy-focused year, according to Morningstar data. A net total of $3.1bn flowed into the country’s sustainable investments last year, and these funds shed nearly $6.2bn in the final stretch of 2022. Many sustainable funds limit exposure … Read more
Strive Asset Management co-founder Vivek Ramaswamy is taking his “anti-woke” message to the next level by campaigning to be nominated as the Republican candidate for president of the United States in 2024. Ramaswamy made his official announcement on Tuesday evening on Fox News, and detailed his plans in a Wednesday opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal entitled Why … Read more
More than eight in 10 UK pension schemes expect to increase their investment exposure to the social care sector, according to a report by Downing. Research with UK pension funds collectively responsible for around £102bn in assets under management, found 84% expect institutional investors to increase their exposure to the social care sector. The report, … Read more
Increased demand for hydrocarbons triggered by the war in Ukraine is temporary, and could accelerate decarbonisation in the long run as countries seek to boost their energy security and limit exposure to volatile fossil-fuel prices, according to analysis by MSCI. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine one year ago has since triggered a restart of idled coal … Read more
UK financial regulators have defended a crackdown on asset managers that they say use unclear labels to greenwash their investments, and dismissed industry suggestions new rules would cause an ESG-related investment bubble or a mass of fund closures. Representatives from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) met in London yesterday (22 February) to discuss the Sustainability … Read more
The independent body advising the UK government on its green finance credentials has urged leaders to act now or lose out to the US and EU where governments have been “raising the stakes” in the race to net zero. The Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG), which was formed by the UK government in 2021 to … Read more
Invesco Canada has launched five ETFs that include an ESG overlay to meet the “growing trend” of incorporating sustainability considerations. The ETFs track several S&P Dividend Aristocrat Indexes and offer exposure to different areas of dividend income. Bruce Schachne, chief commercial officer at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said: “These indices incorporate dividend-based strategies that reflect … Read more