This was a Chatham House peer-to-peer discussion for asset owners such as pension funds and those involved in the governance of assets. You can watch the recording here and read a write-up of the discussion via the Learn More button below.

Public sector schemes, such as the London Pensions Fund Authority (LPFA), have a long track record of taking a proactive approach to responsible investment at the same time as being subject to high levels of public scrutiny. Peter Ballard, Funding and Risk Director of LPFA talked about how the fund continues to evolve its approach to sustainability and climate action, and how it works collaboratively with others to deliver change as well as thinking about impact investing as part of the government's levelling up agenda.

Objective

To promote discussion and understanding of the challenges of implementing responsible investment strategies for pension funds, and how to introduce environmental and social purpose into an investment strategy.

Outcome

Delegates saw examples of best practice and learn from the shared experiences in an asset-owner only discussion of both local authority and private sector pension schemes. This enabled informed decision-making on responsible, sustainable and impact investing within a pension fund portfolio.

Who was this event for?

Anyone involved in the governance of assets and pension funds such as trustees of corporate defined benefit plans, trustees of corporate defined contribution plans, master trusts, LGPS pensions managers and committee members, and in-house pension teams. Please note this was an asset-owner only event, it was not suitable for asset managers or consultants, other than our forum sponsor, Redington.

Sponsor

Speaker biograpies

Jill Davys, Head of LGPS, Redington

Jill is Head of LGPS at Redington, supporting clients and helping Redington understand the LGPS and develop closer working relationships with funds and key stakeholders. Jill also works part-time at the London Borough of Sutton, helping to manage the fund there.

Having worked directly in the LGPS sector for 18 years at a senior level, she has a deep understanding of what it means to run an LGPS fund and the challenges they face. She frequently contributes to events, conferences and roundtables. She has always placed a strong emphasis on investing responsibly, and is an advocate of investing for sustainability and impact.

Previously, Jill worked for over 20 years as a fund manager concentrating mainly on equities but was also involved in strategic asset allocation and derivatives.

Peter Ballard, Funding and Risk Director, LPFA

Peter is a senior pension actuary with over 15 years of experience. He is  currently serving as the Funding and Risk Director for the LPFA having previously worked for Willis Towers Watson as a director between 2006 and 2019. He is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and he's academic background is BSc (Hons) Mathematics, from the University of Nottingham.  

Paris Alignment Forum

The Paris Alignment Forum was established by Pensions for Purpose to help pension funds and other asset owners on their journey towards alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement. We do this by sharing climate-related thought leadership written by our Influencer members (asset managers, consultants and lawyers), by running free training workshops for trustees and by engaging in industry-wide conversation through our quarterly all-stakeholder and asset-owner events. To join the Paris Alignment Forum member please email Karen Shackleton.

Place-Based Impact Investing Forum

The Place-Based Impact Investing Forum was established by Pensions for Purpose and The Good Economy and is run in partnership with The Impact Investing Institute to help pension funds and other asset owners make informed decisions about place-based investments. We do this by sharing place-based-related thought leadership written by our Influencer members (asset managers, consultants and lawyers), by running training workshops for trustees and by engaging in industry-wide conversation through our quarterly all-stakeholder and asset-owner events. To join the Forum please email Charlotte O’Leary.  

Pensions for Purpose

Pensions for Purpose exists as a bridge between asset managers, pension funds and their professional advisers, to encourage the flow of capital towards impact investment. Our aim is to empower pension funds to seek positive impact opportunities and mitigate negative impact risks.

For more information, please email Charlotte O'Leary.