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3 May 2023 – Paris Alignment Forum online all-stakeholder event

The biodiversity crisis: can pension funds save the world?

Posted on Mar 30, 2023

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Pensions for Purpose was delighted to invite Paris Alignment Forum members to its next online all-stakeholder member-only event that took place on 3 May 2023.

In the session, we heared some stark facts from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) about the nature and biodiversity challenges the world faces today unless dramatic action is taken soon.

After these research insights, we then went into small groups, to consider the following questions with our mixed stakeholders:

  • Do pension funds have a responsibility to consider biodiversity as a separate crisis, or is it simply seen as part of the scheme’s climate journey towards net zero?
  • What actions can a pension fund take towards considering biodiversity/nature-related risks and opportunities within their investment and strategic decisions?
  • How should a pension fund monitor, measure and report the impact of its investment portfolio on biodiversity? Are frameworks such as Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) helpful?
After the breakout room discussions, we then returned to the main room to share some key insights.

Who was this event for?

Anyone involved in the governance or management of pension fund assets or other pools of assets, and climate experts. For example, trustees of corporate defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, LGPS pensions managers and committee members, in-house pension teams, legal, actuarial and investment advisers, asset managers, other investment service providers and climate-research groups.

Speakers’ biographies

Fergus Campbell, Sustainable Finance Advisor, ZSL

Fergus Campbell

Fergus has worked at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) for the past year and a half, engaging with the finance sector on biodiversity topics. Through his role, Fergus has supported a range of financial institutions on their stewardship activities and has provided advisory services for biodiversity linked investment funds.

He also has a focus on capacity building for the finance sector on environmental issues and has given training to pension funds on how they can integrate biodiversity considerations into their financing activities. He has a degree in Business Management from the University of Edinburgh and expertise on corporate sustainability, responsible sourcing, and deforestation-risk commodities.

Kerry King, Director Capital Markets and Fundraising at Accounting for Sustainability, A4S

Kerry Perkins

Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) was set up by His Majesty The King when he was The Prince of Wales in 2004, with the aim to ensure sustainable business is business as usual. Kerry leads A4S’s Capital Markets programme to accelerate awareness and action towards a global sustainable financial system.

This includes: running the A4S Asset Owners Network for pension fund chairs, supporting their commitments to embed sustainability into their strategic and investment decisions; convening senior finance to address specific challenges faced by the financial sector; and leading on guidance to scale up adoption of sustainable action by pension scheme trustees and finance within the banking sector.

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 Karen Shackleton.

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.

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