All Thought leadership articles – Page 4
View all stories of the same content type.
-
Thought leadership
SEC considering changes to shareholder voting process in the US
The publicly-stated purpose of the November roundtable is to hear from stakeholders on “whether the SEC’s proxy rules should be refined.”
-
Thought leadershipUntangling the stakeholder chain: strategies and recommendations
Untangling the chain of stakeholder interests and incentives requires connecting the business objectives of plan sponsors with the growing demand for ESG incorporation by plan beneficiaries, while working within the fiduciary duty requirements of ERISA.
-
Thought leadership
The ERISA stakeholder chain
The ERISA retirement system brings together distinct stakeholders with diverse incentives and objectives. These range from the plan sponsors to pension consultants to the investment managers, independent advice providers and, ultimately, the plan beneficiaries.
-
Thought leadership
Shifting ERISA ESG policy: from collateral to integral
Unlike public pension plans, private-sector retirement plans (including both DC and DB plans) must maintain compliance with ERISA regulations, specifically the fiduciary requirements, when selecting investment options.
-
Thought leadership
ERISA plans and ESG incorporation: trends in the US pension market
The overall trend in US private sector pension provision is one of risk transfer from corporate plan sponsors to the beneficiaries, with companies seeking to avoid the long-term pension liabilities inherent in the DB plan structure. Corporate DB plans are closing to new members and converting pension provision to defined ...
-
Thought leadership
From marginal to mandatory: The evolution of ERISA fiduciary duty and ESG incorporation
The attitudes of ERISA plan sponsors toward the incorporation of ESG factors into their plans have followed stages that have reflected the PRI’s approach to the US market. Each stage has required distinct approaches, arguments and strategies.
-
Thought leadership
Untangling stakeholders for broader impact: ERISA plans and ESG incorporation
The US accounts for the largest share of pension assets globally. Increasingly, US investors are incorporating ESG factors into their investment decisions.
-
Thought leadership
Focusing on long-term investors in stock exchange innovation
While traditional stock exchange business models can pull revenue from diverse sources depending on the exchange, companies listing on the exchange are often considered the primary client. One disruption playing out in the United States concerns exchanges taking a deeper focus on the needs of institutional investors.
-
Thought leadership
Innovating stock exchanges to mobilize capital for impact
Traditional stock exchanges are evolving their business practices to find more innovative ways to increase capital flows to sustainable companies and projects through both listed equity and bonds.
-
Thought leadership
Stock exchange innovation: applications for blockchain
For the past few years, financial institutions have been investing in blockchain technology with the idea that it could reduce the cost and complexity of many of its processes, ranging from payments and settlements to tracking shareholder assets.
-
Thought leadership
Evolving business models and new applications of technology by stock exchanges
Evolving business models is not a new topic to stock exchanges. Historically, most exchanges were self-regulated, mutual bodies serving their broker members, and revenues were driven primarily by annual membership dues. Exchanges charged traders a fee to buy and sell stocks on a physical trading floor.
-
Thought leadership
Impact investing market map
Over the last decade, impact investing has shifted from a disruptive investment concept to a complex and rich investment ecosystem.
-
Thought leadership
Impact investing market map: Water
Water is considered a multi-impact investment because it affects the microclimate, food supply, industrial chain, health, productivity and the environment overall.
-
Thought leadership
Impact investing market map: Health
Access to health services and products is a basic human right as per the UN’s central mission.
-
Thought leadership
Impact investing market map: Sustainable forestry
UN agencies and international conventions have created basic definitions and conditions for sustainable forestry, but these are not acknowledged or adopted by all countries.
-
Thought leadership
Impact investing market map: Inclusive finance
According to the Principles for Investors in Inclusive Finance (PIIF), about two billion adults – more than half of the world’s working population – are excluded from formal financial services.
-
Thought leadership
Impact investing market map: Renewable energy
Non-conventional energy generation is one of the most well-known industries in the impact investing field, having evolved from an illiquid or early-stage impact market to a mainstream market in the past 15 years.
-
Thought leadership
Impact investing market map: Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency is often associated with clean technology companies, green energy enterprises and smart or eco products (such as washing machines that consume less energy or hybrid cars).
-
Thought leadership
Impact investing market map: Education
The World Bank identifies education as a powerful driver of development and one of the strongest instruments for reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, global peace and stability.
-
Thought leadership
Initial considerations
While impact investing is a new paradigm for the investment community, there are still many gaps and issues that need to be addressed to take it to the mainstream.
