‘Implications of LGPS reforms’ networking event

It was standing room only at our latest networking event with more than 50 turning up to discuss how to invest £550bn over a decade.

With the growth in pension scheme surpluses accelerating the route to buy- out, we discussed the challenges of investing the capital being transferred from closed defined benefit schemes to insurance companies.

 A particularly warm thanks to our panellists − Ashish Dafria, chief investment officer at Aviva, Gareth Mee, chief executive officer of L&G’s Institutional Retirement business, Hartej Singh head of public credit at Pension Insurance Corporation plc, and Claire Altman, managing director of PRT and individual retirement at Standard Life UK.

Short-term mandates, long-term risks: insurers face regulatory dilemma

My first feature for Net Zero Investor examines how general insurers are at the cutting edge of climate change risk. As underwriters of flood, hurricane and fire mispricing this risk can be the difference between profit and loss.

General insurers’ underwriting pricing models must react to rapid changes in extreme weather events brought about by climate change. Given the importance of these risks, it’s no surprise these organisations have added net zero targets.

But incorporating those targets having different degrees of difficulty. It’s more straightforward to improve the green status of your offices but challenging to unpick the layers of climate change risk in your underwriting portfolio.

Incorporating net zero targets in the asset side of the portfolio also requires some careful handling especially when using third-party managers and in a portfolio that must have a short time horizon and be focused on fixed income.