PLSA roundtable: long term risk, investment performance

Monday 13 March 2017


Partner, Stuart O’Brien joins a roundtable discussion at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association on 13 March 2017 discussing: assessing long term risk, measuring investment performance – evolving new techniques

Managing financial performance and risk over the long term has always been a central task for pension funds. But too often, short term behaviour can dominate. Recent work by regulators and others has sharpened the focus on environmental and social issues, which in financial terms tend to play out over the long term. How might new techniques, and new thinking, help trustees address these challenges? This Roundtable will address these key issues.

It will start with a brief update on the state of play and lead into a discussion of how pension fund trustees can most easily ensure they are taking full advantage of techniques already available or in development.

Recent work referred to will include:-

  • The Recommendations of the FSB Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures Report, which apply to pension funds as well as companies
  • The Guidance for defined contribution schemes issued by the Pensions Regulator (and defined benefit guidance is expected soon)
  • The FCA asset management market study
  • The decision by investors of more than €550bn in Dutch and Swedish pension funds to use the UN SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in their investment framework.

The discussion will be kicked off with a few words from Stuart O’Brien of Sackers LLP on the legal context and from practitioners: Faith Ward or Mark Mansley of the Environment Agency Pension Fund, Leon Kamhi of Hermes Fund Managers, Mike Clark of Ario Advisory and a representative of investment consultancy Willis Towers Watson. There will be a short summary of the current situation from Charles Seaford of the Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity.

Please email Luke.hildyard@plsa.co.uk to confirm your place.

 

Programme


9.00am Registration and coffee

9.30am Roundtable discussion

11.30am Close

Venue: Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association, Cheapside House, 138 Cheapside, London EC2V 6AE