As we come to the end of 2025, and the end of season 2 of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, we get together with the other Pensions for Purpose directors to reflect on the year gone by. 2025 has been a mammoth year for pensions policy and there have been lots of initiatives we’ve been part of to help drive forward outcomes for people, planet and pensions. It has also been a year of ESG backlash, conflict and instability. We talk about this and discuss the challen...

Fixed income makes up a huge part of investors’ portfolios, especially in the world of pensions. As such, its crucial we focus on sustainability and impact within the world of fixed income. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast we are joined by Bruno Bamberger and Aida Hemery from AXA to get into this important topic. We discuss labels, regulation, engagement and we address some common myths on this topic.

How important is COP 30 to investors? In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast we sit down with Michael Schlup and Johnny Brom from SAIL Investments to talk all about COP and the other key events around this. We hear about how COP has evolved, the role of investors and the other events and announcements that we should look out for. We also dive into the significance of COP 30 being held in Brazil – home of the Amazon rainforest and many industries that are extremely na...

When we talk about the Energy Transition a lot of discussion is around renewable energy and grid infrastructure. But to successfully transition, there is so much more we need to think about – from the way we build our houses, to our heating systems and the cars we drive. All of this will need capital and could pose an exciting opportunity for investors – if structured suitably. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast we speak to Sam Hollister and Stephen Harkin f...

Financial inclusion is key to meeting global sustainability goals, with a huge number of people around the world still lacking access to mainstream financial systems. Improving financial inclusion is linked to improved human and economic development. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose Podcast we speak to Lorna Logan from Stewart Investors about just how important financial inclusion is – and how investors can find some great opportunities in this sector!

The energy transition poses one of the greatest opportunities of our lifetimes – from both an economic and impact perspective. But in times of such geopolitical uncertainty, it can be unclear exactly what the future looks like. In this episode we are joined by Hilkka Komulainen, Quinbrook’s Global Head of Sustainability and Impac,t to dive into this subject. We discuss how the cost of action compares with the cost of inaction, how to centre people in the Energy transition an...

A significant amount of money is concentrated across a small handful of bulk annuity insurers – and this pot is only growing as more Defined Benefit Pension Schemes go to buyout. These insurers are long-term asset owners and so are significantly exposed to sustainability-related risks and opportunities. In this episode we are joined by Tatiana Von Petersdorff and Matt Foley from EY to find out how the pensions industry is coming together to address sustainability and impact in p...

The world around us feels quite scary – whether it’s the rollback of sustainability practices, the rise in hate speech and oppression, or the ongoing wars - there are many things that can leave us in despair. As sustainability professionals who are looking to tackle these issues, this landscape can be very challenging to navigating, often leading to burnout. In this episode, we have an open and honest discussion about how we can tackle burnout and retain hope for a better future, where...

Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles welcome Geneviève Morin of Fondaction, to the Podcast to discuss how purpose drives their investment approach. Imagine taking a challenging point in a country’s history – a time where there was severe recession, bankruptcies and high unemployment levels – and turning it into a new financial idea: a labour-sponsored fund set up by the people, for the people. Well, this is exactly what Fondaction has done. In this episode of the Pension...

n addition to its net zero by 2050 target, the UK Government has also set an ambitious target to decarbonise the electricity system by 2035. In order to reach this target, many different sectors will have to come together – from governments, to corporates, to civil society and, of course, investors. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, our hosts Laasya Shekaran and Charlotte O’Leary speak to Raza Ali of AlphaReal about how investors are both needed for and can bene...

Laasya Shekaran welcomes Lindsay Hooper of the University of Cambridge, to the Podcast to discuss why sustainable finance hasn’t delivered the progress needed. Sustainable Finance has been around for a while, but we still haven’t seen enough progress to tackle the immense systemic issues we face. If we do not address these problems directly, we risk witnessing environmental and social destruction, ultimately leading to total economic collapse. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podca...

Laasya Shekaran and David Brown welcome Judith Mackenzie of Downing, to the Podcast to discuss investing in the UK. Initiatives like the Mansion House Compact II and an increased focus on place-based investing all point to one clear government objective – channelling more pension capital into investments supporting UK growth. But what does that actually look like in practice? How can pension schemes invest in the UK in a way that delivers positive, impactful and sustainable outcomes for the U...

‘ESG’ has become increasingly politicised as a concept, and investors have seen a backlash towards this term. This has been particularly strong in the US, given recent political developments, which has led investors to ask how they should be engaging with this part of the market. In this episode, our hosts Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles are joined by Will Pomroy, Head of Impact Engagement Equities at Federated Hermes to help investors answer these questions. They discuss...

Many investors, corporates and even countries have net zero targets – but how will they achieve these goals? Carbon markets are inevitably going to part of the answer. In this episode, our host Laasya Shekaran is joined by Nick Gaskell and Fraser Green, Sustainable Investment Manager and Head of Natural Capital Investment at Aberdeen Investments. In a conversation that ranges from the basics of carbon markets, to understanding local communities and looking to the futu...

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, Laasya Shekaran and David Brown speak to Richard Tomlinson, CIO of LPPI – one of the UK’s local government pension scheme (LGPS) pools. They talk about the many dimensions of diversity and how not all forms are visible. From personal reflections on their own backgrounds – to the importance of recognising class and social mobility as important elements of inclusion, this episode dives into what it means to value people with different perspe...

Investment opportunities to support decarbonisation exist across the value chain and are particularly prevalent in private markets. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose Podcast, Laasya Shekaran and Monique Stephens speak to Lindee Wong, Director of Climate and Biodiversity at Tikehau Capital, about how the just transition and biodiversity should be considered as part of the decarbonisation process, they also examine how the broader ecosystem needs to change to support the transition.&n...

Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles welcome Dan Mikulskis of People's Partnership, to the podcast to discuss the realistic influence of asset owners and how acknowledging the limitations can help unlock its full potential impact. In this Pensions for Purpose Podcast, hosts Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles speak to Dan Mikulskis, CIO of the People’s Pension about how asset owners can best use their influence. They discuss the changes in dynamics being seen in the pensions mar...

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose Podcast, Laasya Shekaran and Monique Stephens speak to Jane Wadia, Head of Sustainability, Core Products and Clients of AXA Investment Managers, about how investors can achieve their net-zero goals across different listed asset classes amid the geopolitical tensions. The discussion begins with stewardship, examining how the focus has moved from quantitative summaries of stewardship activity to a more qualitative understanding of engagement success a...

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, Laasya Shekaran and David Brown speak to Tegs Harding and Roger Mattingley about how investors can be realistic about climate change. We take a stocktake of where we are now and how achievable net zero really is for investors, especially given the current global political backdrop. We discuss where investors can have the most influence and the importance of capital allocation. We also discuss fiduciary duty and how it’s p...

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, Laasya Shekaran and Richard Giles speak to Mark Burrows, Managing Director at Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, about how to invest in the transition to renewable energy. The conversation covers the opportunities across regions and what the energy transition will bring over the next decade. They explore the contentious topic of nuclear energy and discuss how investing in the energy transition fits the broader government policy landscape of...