14 March 2023 – Paris Alignment Forum online asset owner event with Invesco

‘Why’ and ‘how’ to decarbonise a pension fund – West Yorkshire Pension Fund’s journey.

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.

...

In this fireside chat Graham Hook of Invesco and Robert Hulme of West Yorkshire Pension Fund discussed the steps they have taken on climate action to date.

Robert discussed some of the pension fund’s engagement successes and talk about which areas of climate action to prioritise by considering the materiality of risks.

He also outlined the ways the portfolio is evolving to reduce emissions, and how they expect to progress their climate journey in 2023 and beyond.

This was followed by a roundtable discussion with other asset owners sharing their own experiences and an opportunity to ask questions.

Who was this event for?

This event was opened to asset owners such as pension fund trustees, in-house executives and independent advisers, professional trustees and government representatives.

Speakers’ biographies

Graham Hook, Head of UK Government Relations and Public Policy, Invesco 

Graham Hook

Graham Hook is Head of UK Government Relations and Public Policy. He joined Invesco in November 2018. Prior to joining Invesco, Graham was a Government Special Advisor for six years, working in four different government departments. His last government role was Special Advisor on policy issues to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond MP in Her Majesty's Treasury.

Graham began his career working in the UK Parliament. He earned a BA with honours in history from Warwick University and an MPhil in International Relations from Cambridge University.

Robert Hulme, Responsible Investment Engagement Manager, West Yorkshire Pension Fund

Robert HulmeRobert has extensive financial market experience in a broad range of positions and locales in a 25-year career. His professional experience started as an equity research analyst in Mexico City and New York, where he worked for seven years.

After a brief stint in investor relations in Chicago, Robert settled in London to work as a portfolio manager on an emerging markets fund for five years, before returning to banking for a further 14 years as an institutional equity salesperson prior to joining West Yorkshire Pension Fund. He has a degree in Economics, a Masters in Investment Analysis and has successfully passed the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing.

Host

Karen Shackleton, Director and Founder, Pensions for Purpose

karen-shackleton
Karen has worked in the finance sector for over 30 years. As well as being Founder of Pensions for Purpose, she is Deputy Chair of the Strategic Investment Board for the Ministry of Justice and a non-executive director and Chair of the Board of Resonance Ltd, a social impact investment company. She sits on the Advisory Council of the Impact Investing Institute.

Karen also provides independent investment advice to the London Boroughs of Islington, Camden and Hounslow through MJ Hudson. She was the Chief Executive/Managing Director of AllenbridgeEpic Investment Advisers from 2010 to 2013. Prior to that, she had ten years' experience as a fund manager and director for County NatWest and BZW Investment Management (now BlackRock).

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 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 please email the Forum Lead.

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 membership information, please email our Membership Manager.

To the extent that anything on this website constitutes a financial promotion it is exempt from the general prohibition in S21 of FSMA on the basis that the site is only intended for investment professionals as such term is defined in S19 of the Financial Promotions Order. Please note that Pensions for Purpose does not provide consultancy services, advice or personal recommendations on any of the investment opportunities mentioned on the platform. We curate content written by Influencer members and do not endorse any underlying funds.

Learn more here