Presented at our recent Awards event in London, the shortlisted content was judged by:

• Shadi Brazell, Impact Investing Institute
• Marcus Hurd, ndapt
• Silvia Knott-Martin, London CIV
• Danny Meehan, Cushon
• Kerry Perkins, A4S
• Cllr Christian Vassie, North Yorkshire Pension Fund
• Chris Wagstaff, independent trustee
• Jessie Wilson, Dalriada Trustees

The submitted entries were assessed for clarity, originality, educational insight, presentation and relevance for pensions funds, from content posted on the platform between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022.

There were eight award categories:

• Best Blog.
• Best Case Study.
• Best Environmental Impact Thought Leadership.
• Best Social Impact Thought Leadership.
• Best Impact Report.
• Best ESG/Sustainable Investment Report.
• Best Strategy Thought Leadership.
• Best Client-Led Innovation.

THE WINNERS

Best Blog
LCP for ‘Why climate alignment matters'.
Judges' feedback –  "very well written with helpful suggested questions for trustees to ask their service providers. The carbon transition is difficult for trustees to grapple with, and the easy solution of carbon reduction isn’t perfect… but this blog described a practical solution for trustees looking at their portfolios” The judges were “pleasantly surprised at how well the blog addressed this topic for trustees and did so in a practical way".

Best Case Study
Artemis Investment Management for 'Higher education: an ‘A+’ opportunity for disruptive innovators'.
Judges' feedback – This case study, was "cleverly structured and very pertinent to pension funds. It informed the reader well on the firm’s approach to impact investing, provided a wealth of knowledge on the subject matter, and progressively persuaded the reader that their proposition was a compelling investment opportunity delivering value for shareholders and society." "It was an excellent analysis…" although one judge did observe that it was perhaps "less convincing when moving to an investible opportunity." But it did get them thinking!

Best Client-Led Innovation
Stewart Investors for 'Exploring outside the lines - Stewart Investors'.
Judges' feedback – “Fantastic approach to bringing investment allocations to life across a range of lenses – it had implications for governance but was especially exciting when considered in the context of engaging pension members and investors.  It showed a real commitment to informing and empowering clients to make better decisions, so that clients can lead by better understanding the ESG potential of the individual companies of the portfolio. It also offered real and practical insights into the ESG benefit and carbon cutting value of all the individual holdings.”

Best Environmental Impact Thought Leadership
Isio for ‘Focusing on a nature positive future - an introduction to nature for investors’.
Judges' feedback – “Good overview and analysis.” Again, there was a “clear focus on investible solutions.” The judges liked the different media used and observed that the report gave a “really good overview of the challenges, the current approaches and how these relate to investors.”  They observed that they “Would be interested to read the second report with practical actions for investors”.

Best ESG/Sustainable Investment Report
Barnett Waddingham for ‘Sustainable investor insights survey’.
Judges' feedback – “Clear, insightful statistics and was very well presented.”  "[It] provided an excellent overview of what market participants are doing.”

Best Impact Report
Nuveen for 'Global fixed income impact report 2021'.
Judges' feedback – The “theme overview pages were clear” in this impact report. “Equivalence data made the impact easier to visualise, and there was a comparison of performance over time and against benchmark. The case studies were well-summarised offering detail, but succinct. This report credibly demonstrated the impact possible in public fixed income markets and had a useful articulation of the global spread of investments, with clear and well-presented information about SDG alignment and impact measurement."

Best Social Impact Thought Leadership
Alpha Real Capital for ‘Social real estate: delivering local and national impact’.
Judges' feedback – “Simply put and well explained, with supporting graphics. Case studies, such as these, provide vitally important frames of reference for those other pensions funds with similar social real estate investing ambitions but are unsure of the available opportunities, how to access these, how to quantify the local/national social impact and extent of UN SDG-alignment through evidence-based multiple metrics - all without compromising a fiduciary focus on maintaining risk-adjusted financial returns.”

Best Strategy Thought Leadership
StepStone for ‘Making an impact: a guide for private market Investors’.
Judges' feedback – “An informative exploration of impact investing, its history and its potential to drive decarbonisation. The clear graphics enhance the submission”. It was "a well thought-out article that touched on many elements of impact and responsible investing. It connected recent events and provided a wealth of information pertinent to pension funds".


THE HIGHLY COMMENDED

Best Blog
Rize ETF for 'How the war in Ukraine underscores the need for a more secure food future'.

Best Client-Led Innovation
Invesco for 'Low carbon portfolios: why defensive is not always dirty'.

Best Environmental Impact Thought Leadership
J.P. Morgan Asset Management for 'Achieving net zero: the path to a carbon-neutral world'.

Best ESG/Sustainable Investment Report
LCP for 'Responsible Investment Survey 2022'.

Best Impact Report
EQ Investors for 'Positive Impact Report 2021'

Please click the button below to see the shortlisted content or read the pre-event brochure.
 
(This event was postponed from November 2022 due to the rail and tube strikes.)

Learn more here