Danish-based pension provider ATP is divesting its UK pension fund Now Pensions, which has 1.7 million members, to a pension provider and investment manager. ATP's CEO, Bo Foged, admits that the investment has not been satisfactory.
If a new obligatory pension scheme proposal is passed, ATP will see a 40 percent inflow in assets under management.
PensionDanmark was one of the first institutional investors in Denmark to test alternative investments, dipping first a toe and later a whole leg in the water. AMWatch met Claus Lyngdal, the pension fund's head of alternative investments since 2008, as he heads to Rome with colleagues to compete for the title of best European alternatives team.
Helsinki-based Varma has updated its responsible investment guidelines and is blacklisting heavy coal emitters, the company announced late last week.
ATP is heading in the right direction with its initiative on pushing utilities in a climate-friendly direction, says Greenpeace. However, the environmental organization maintains that it takes extra efforts for the pension fund to live up to its climate-related responsibilities.
Incoming rule changes for four of the national funds backing Sweden's state pension system have inspired AP4 to take its responsible investment further -- erasing more industrial sectors from its investment universe.
Despite calls for pension providers to offer and market passive investment funds, Denmark's largest pension company sees no reason why its customers should use trackers. If they do, they will only be taking on bigger risks, says PFA's CIO in an interview with AMWatch's sister site FinansWatch.
Asset Manager to Thylander Gruppen A/S
Corporate finance analyst for group treasury - Bunker Holding
