1. Home
  2. Impact Lens
Impact Lens
PENSIONS FOR PURPOSE’S IMPACT LENS IS OUR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND ANALYSIS OF MARKET TRENDS.

Our discussions with pension funds, advisers and asset managers give us unique insights into the challenges, questions and solutions relating to sustainable and impact investment. From this, we undertake research that can support pension funds to understand the marketplace and make crucial governance and investment decisions.

Published Research
Systemic stewardship: challenges & strategies for change
Our new stewardship research report, commissioned by Robeco, in partnership with Border to Coast Pensions Partnership, IGG and TPT Investment Management, investigates how to address systemic risks through stewardship.

March 2025

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Integrating nature & biodiversity into investment – an asset owner perspective
Our new Impact Lens research report, commissioned by First Sentier MUFG Sustainable Investment Institute, investigates asset owners’ approaches to reporting on nature frameworks and data collection challenges.

January 2025

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Survey Short: Stars, stripes & sustainability
Nearly all (93%) of UK and European institutional investors "concerned" about sustainability under a Trump presidency.

January 2025

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Real-world impact in emerging markets – an asset owner perspective
Our new research paper, commissioned by Ninety One, expresses asset owners’ views on impact investing in emerging markets. Separately, Pensions for Purpose collaborated with World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA).

September 2024

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Navigating diversity, equity & inclusion – an asset owner perspective
A Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens report, sponsored by Jupiter Asset Management, considering how diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are considered in fund analysis.

April 2024

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Impact investing and private debt
A Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens market research project on private lending for social purpose.

A private report, completed Q1 2024

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Impact investment performance – a UK asset owner & investment consultant perspective
Our latest Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens paper, co-sponsored by Aquila Capital, AXA Investment Managers, Baillie Gifford, Franklin Templeton, Resonance and Vontobel Asset Management, explores impact funds' allocation and financial performance.

November 2023

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Impact investing in private equity – a UK pension fund perspective
This Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens report, sponsored by Columbia Threadneedle Investments, explores how the UK pension fund market is viewing impact in private equity.

June 2023

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Natural capital and biodiversity – where are UK asset owners on their journey?
A Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens report, commissioned by Gresham House, looking at where UK asset owners, in particular pension funds, are on their journey of incorporating biodiversity and natural capital into their investment decision-making.

June 2023

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
One year on – TCFD reporting for pension funds
A Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens report, sponsored by Redington, looking at how pension funds are using TCFD reports to inform strategy.

January 2023

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
The future of investing for pension funds
A Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens report, sponsored by Big Society Capital, considering the role that social impact investment might have in a pension fund portfolio.

March 2022

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Industry trends in climate indices
A Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens report analysing how managers use climate indices in sustainable and impact funds.

March 2022

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, consultants, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this page. Please login or join to view.
Upcoming Research
Climate innovation
A Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens research report, sponsored by SAIL. This research will investigate asset owners’ appetite for climate-innovation initiatives and their response to regulatory changes and environmental risks, as well as consider whether skill gaps prevent asset managers from implementing sustainable strategies.

Q2 2025

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this article. Please login or join to view.
Impact integration
This Pensions for Purpose Impact Lens report, sponsored by Impact Frontiers, will investigate how impact reporting feeds into decision-making, the current status of impact reporting and ways to include impact considerations into the investment process.

Q3 2025

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this article. Please login or join to view.
Partner with us

If you are interested with collaborating with us on an impact-related piece of research then please get in contact. Some sponsorship opportunities already available include:
Seeking sponsorship - How do asset managers, asset owners and their advisers measure, report and engage on impact performance?
What does best practice look like? How can pension funds avoid greenwashing?

Publication date tbc

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this article. Please login or join to view.
Seeking sponsorship - Cost versus value decision-making processes
In partnership with Smart Pension Master Trust, we will be looking at pension schemes, with a focus on master trusts.

Publication date tbc

Only members with restricted access (ie. academics, asset owners, government and regulatory, independent advisers/trustees and sponsoring employers) can view this article. Please login or join to view.