Beneficiaries are increasingly interested in how their money is managed, and the demand for investors to take heed of this is growing.
Join the PRI’s Emmet McNamee and special guests Xander den Uyl, Trustee, ABP (and PRI board member), and Marion Maloney, Head of Responsible Investment, Environment Agency Pension Fund in this episode of the PRI podcast.
Xander and Marion discuss how they have gone about understanding the sustainability preferences of their pension scheme members and the changes in practices member feedback has led to. They discuss how to balance beneficiaries’ preferences with fiduciary duty, and how to approach the costs of undertaking beneficiary engagement.
Further resources:
Understanding and aligning with beneficiaries’ sustainability preferences: https://www.unpri.org/strategy-policy-and-strategic-asset-allocation/understanding-and-aligning-with-beneficiaries-sustainability-preferences/7497.article
Beneficiary survey template: https://www.unpri.org/download?ac=13335
In the third episode of the PRI’s human rights podcast series, the PRI’s Elena Espinoza speaks to two members of Grenfell United, a group of survivors and bereaved families of the Grenfell Tower fire, and Simon Whistler, real assets lead at the PRI.
The Grenfell Tower fire occurred early in the morning of Wednesday 14 June 2017 in North Kensington, London. It spread quickly through the tower block’s 24 stories, taking the lives of 72 people and injuring many more.
After the disaster, it emerged that the cladding that was put on the tower during its refurbishment fuelled the fire.
As a result of mounting pressure from bereaved families, investors have been selling shares in Grenfell Tower cladding firm Kingspan.
In this episode, Grenfell United speak about the ways in which they raised concerns before the fire and how they have engaged with investors who are tied to companies linked with the tragedy.
The PRI's Simon Whistler then reflects on Grenfell United’s testimony, outlining how investors can strengthen their due diligence processes and describing the lessons that investors internationally can learn.
Interested in the resources discussed in this episode?
Investors sell of shares in Grenfell Tower insultation firm Kingspan
US judge allows lawsuit against Grenfell Tower cladding firm
Drawing on insights from 2021’s AGM season, this PRI podcast episode dives into the subject of achieving meaningful outcomes through investor stewardship, particularly in the context of climate action and decarbonisation. The guest speakers share both academic and practical insights on the stewardship tools and practices at investors’ disposal when considering climate action as a systemic issue and from a universal ownership perspective.
With only four months to go until COP26 in Glasgow, our last major opportunity to get back on track with the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C, investor action on climate has never been more critical.
In this podcast we will explore the steps Wellington Management are taking to help lead the charge, as one of the of the first asset management firms to make a net-zero carbon emissions pledge.
In the sixth podcast of a series on the ESG in Credit Risk and Ratings Initiative, Sixtine Dubost (PRI) focusses with Barbara Cohen (Scope Ratings) and Shawn Keegan (Alliance Bernstein) on social factors, how they affect the probability of default of an issuer or of a bond issue and why their relevance is increasing.
What does investing with an outcomes approach mean and what does it entail? In this podcast, PRI CEO Fiona Reynolds and William Burckart, President and COO of TIIP discuss the role of data and measurement to support investment decision-making.
PRI’s Jasper Cox speaks with Joanna Woods and Susan Burns about how climate change affects sovereign bonds through both physical risk and transition risk, and how investors can measure this.
Market practitioners discuss the reasons why, despite lagging compared to other fixed income sub-asset classes, investors in securitised products are sharpening their focus on ESG consideration. From regional differences between the US and European markets to the emerging of new ESG-labelled products, the podcast explores the drivers behind growing interest as well as the challenges that investors encounter as they begin to incorporate more systematically ESG factors in the evaluations of this sophisticated asset class.
In this episode of the PRI’s human rights podcast series, the PRI’s Nabylah Abo Dehman speaks to Jennifer Bates, an Amazon worker who played a key role in organising the union drive in Bessemer, Alabama and Corey Klemmer, Director of Engagement at Domini Impact Investments.
In this episode, Ms Bates reflects on her experiences of working for Amazon, the recent union drive and the result of the vote. In the second part of the podcast, Ms Klemmer shares her reaction to Ms Bates’ testimony, the allegations of union-busting at Amazon and describes how investors can engage with Amazon on current practices.
Interested in the resources discussed in this episode?
Ohman and Folksam letter to Amazon
CWC Statement for Investors on the Union Election At Amazon’s Facility in Bessemer, AL
Union Files NLRB Election Objections
NBC New Report on Amazon Union Avoidance
All expressions of opinion of Ms. Klemmer reflect her judgement as of the date of this podcast and are subject to change. They do not constitute any form of investment advice. Domini Impact Investments does not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. None of her comments should be considered a recommendation concerning the merits of any noted company, or an offer of sale or solicitation of an offer to buy shares of any such company.
In this episode of the PRI podcast, our real assets lead, Simon Whistler, talks to Rick Alsop from WSP about climate risks and opportunities for real assets investors.
In this podcast, the PRI’s Chloe Horne speaks with Susheela Peres da Costa, Head of Advisory at Regnan and Jake Barnett, Director of Sustainable Investment Services at Wespath about the PRI’s recently published paper – Making Voting Count - on how principle-based voting on shareholder resolutions can contribute to clear, effective and accountable stewardship.
In this podcast, the PRI’s Carmen Nuzzo speaks with Farah Imrana Hussain who is Senior Financial Officer and works on Financial Products & Client Solutions at the World Bank Treasury.
They discuss how sovereign bondholder engagement with debt management offices (DMOs) is evolving as a result of fixed income investor increasing focus on ESG topics.
In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI’s Felix Soellner, Senior Analyst and lead author in the PRI's SAM guides speaks with Moya Yip of the Local Government Superannuation Scheme.
They discuss the crucial role asset owners have with their investment managers and how LGS has integrated ESG considerations in both their manager selection and ongoing monitoring practices. Moya also discusses LGS’s approach to active ownership through strong external investment manager partnerships.
In the fifth podcast of a series on the ESG in Credit Risk and Ratings Initiative, PRI's Sixtine Dubost speaks with with Judy Wesalo Temel from Fiera Capital and Patrick Welch from KBRA about environmental factors and how they affect the probability of default of an issuer or a bond issue and why their relevance is increasing
This podcast highlights the global investor perspective on the US re-joining the Paris Agreement. It covers priorities for the Paris Agreement and for net zero investor action.
The podcast features:
Join the PRI’s Matthew McAdam in this quarterly update episode of the PRI podcast. In this episode, Matthew runs through key updates from the PRI from the last quarter of 2020.
Interested in the resources discussed in this episode?
Asset owner technical guides: selection, appointment and monitoring
Why and how investors should act on human rights
The Inevitable Policy Response under Biden’s climate plan
ESG engagement for sovereign debt investors
Whistleblowing: why and how to engage with your investee companies
How policymakers can implement reforms for a sustainable financial system
In this episode, the PRI’s Rebecca Chapman speaks with Michiel De Smet, Finance Initiative Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. They discuss the findings from a report released last year by the Foundation called ‘Financing the Circular Economy’, including the relevance of the Circular Economy for investors and how investors can support a transition to a more circular future.
Interested in the resources discussed in this episode?
‘Financing the Circular Economy’, Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2020) https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/our-work/activities/finance
RI’s work on Plastics: https://www.unpri.org/sustainability-issues/environmental-social-and-governance-issues/environmental-issues/plastics
In this episode PRI’s CEO, Fiona Reynolds, speaks with Eric Usher, Head of the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). They discuss its newest initiative, the Principles for Responsible Banking. Just over one year on from its launch, they explore why it was developed, what the initiative has achieved so far and ambitions for the future.
In the fourth podcast of a series on the ESG in Credit Risk and Ratings Initiative, Carmen Nuzzo (Head of Fixed Income, PRI) speaks to Naresh Aggarwal (Associate Director, Policy and Technical, The Association of Corporate Treasurers) and Rhys Petheram (Fund Manager, Fixed Income, Jupiter Asset Management), bringing the corporate and asset manager perspectives on ESG credit relevant data disclosure and engagement.
In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI’s Simon Whistler talks to Rick Walters from GRESB. They talk about the state of play of ESG data and performance in infrastructure, how better ESG data can drive stronger long-term thinking and performance, and explore whether too much of a focus on data can distract from the real world elements of infrastructure investing.
In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI’s Nikolaj Halkjaer Pedersen engages in a dynamic human rights focused conversation with Chris Newton, Executive Director of Responsible Investment at IFM Investors and
Akiko Sato, Human Rights Lawyer and Japan Programme Coordinator at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.
The podcast begins by grounding an investor’s understanding of human rights through analysing what human rights are, where they exist in relation to fiduciary duty and how they can be integrated into ESG considerations. It then explores the ways in which human rights are regulated across different geographies, how human rights considerations can be incorporated across asset classes and the importance of investor responsibility to enable and provide access to remedy. It concludes with the guests expressing their hopes and desires for the future of human rights in institutional investment.
Read the PRI's flagship paper, Why and how investors should act on human rights
In this episode of the PRI podcast, the PRI's CEO Fiona Reynolds speaks with Dr Bronwyn King AO, Founder, Director and CEO of Tobacco-Free Portfolios. They discuss the Tobacco-Free Finance Pledge, the progress the initiative has made since its launch, the impact of COVID-19, links between human rights and tobacco, big issues on the horizon and more.
In this podcast, the PRI's Nathan Fabian introduces the new EU Platform on Sustainable Finance, explains the Platform’s purpose, activities and what signatories can expect in the months and years ahead.
We need a decisive decade of action on climate change, incorporating a sustainable recovery from COVID-19 and actions towards net zero by 2050.
A leading group of asset owners, the UN-convened Net Zero Asset Owner Alliance has committed to aligning their portfolios with net zero by 2050, and published how they will get there – through a draft target-setting protocol.
This podcast seeks to assist asset owners, asset managers and their service providers to:
Join the PRI's Sagarika Chatterjee and Swiss Re's Claudia Bolli as they discuss just that.
Interested in the resources discussed in this episode?