Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues have risen rapidly up the public, political and regulatory agendas. With £2.3 trillion of assets, the UK’s occupational pension schemes have an important part to play in supporting the UK’s drive for net zero and other ESG goals.


believe ESG issues create risks and opportunities

 

seek to align with or beyond sponsor’s ESG policies 

 

have proficient understanding of

ESG
 

have processes to integrate ESG into decision-making

 

independently conduct stewardship activities

 

are seeking to introduce an ESG fund

 

 

Our Time for Action: UK Pension Schemes’ Journey to ESG report draws on data gathered from Mercer’s Responsible Investment Total Evaluation (RITE) analysis of more than 650 UK occupational pension schemes. It shows ESG is being taken seriously with 98% of trustees believing ESG issues can have a material impact on financial returns.

 

But, like the rest of the financial industry, pension schemes are playing catch-up in a complex environment that is constantly evolving.

 

This report breaks the ESG journey down into four steps based on Mercer’s Sustainable Investment Pathway.



Individual trustees may have diverse and strongly held beliefs - but RITE found that fewer than half of trustees had carried out an ESG beliefs survey or workshop in the past three years to help them come to a common view.  RITE also showed that resources do not always dictate actions, with some smaller and midsize schemes having made more progress in their ESG journey than larger ones.



Schemes have been required to include ESG and stewardship policies in their Statement of Investment Principles since 2019 but RITE found that few had moved beyond this first step. For example, just 10% of schemes have developed a standalone policy related to responsible investment, ESG or sustainability. Meanwhile, company boards are examining their pension schemes as they adopt ESG practices but fewer than one in four schemes has sought to align with the principles of their sponsor company.



RITE found almost two-thirds of schemes had adopted some measures for integrating ESG into their processes but others have work to do to ensure their assets are invested in line with their beliefs. Most schemes do not carry out regular assessments of asset managers’ stewardship records. Few schemes have conducted analysis of carbon intensity and climate change scenarios but this will become a more pressing matter.



Portfolio is where intention turns into action - but RITE’s analysis shows fewer than 40% of DC schemes include an ESG fund in their default strategy and roughly half of schemes make these funds available to members who self-select. This leaves tens of billions of pounds in pension savings without explicit exposure to ESG funds. For DB schemes, fewer ESG options mean less participation but there is a growing focus on developing sustainable fixed income products.


Conclusion


Integrating ESG is a monumental challenge for UK pension schemes that they cannot undertake alone. Our report concludes with a series of recommendations for stakeholders, including the government, regulators, asset managers and advisers, to help them fulfil this goal.

      


Download the report to discover what actions schemes like yours are taking and planning to take along their pathway to better ESG integration.




Learn more about Mercer’s Responsible Investment Total Evaluation (RITE)


Average rating for Defined Contribution Schemes


Average rating for Defined Benefit Schemes


Use our free tool to see the benchmark being set by schemes like yours.


We’ve taken the RITE analysis of over 650 schemes and split it 25 groups, allowing you to search by scheme type and size, or by the industry sector the parent company works in. So whether you have a defined benefit scheme with less than £100m of assets under management, or a DC scheme with over £5bn, or whether your parent company operates in the utilities or the financial sector, you can see the RITE benchmark set by schemes like yours.

To see how your scheme measures up against its peers request a RITE consultation.

 


Related ESG insights

Sustainable investments insights
Access all of the latest insights from our sustainable investment team.
ESG is not a destination, but a pathway to a sustainable future
Find out more about three key areas to create successful sustainability strategies for your organisation.
The journey to net zero is just as important as the ambition
UK occupational pension schemes are being heavily encouraged to target net-zero across their portfolios by 2050 but taking action today is most important.

Help for your ESG journey

Responsible Investment Total Evaluation (RITE)
Gain insight to how well you are currently integrating ESG considerations into your overall investment decision making. Identify areas for intervention that will deliver positive impact.
Sustainable investments
Taking a long-term approach and investing sustainably is integral in today’s environment.

Download the report

Please complete the form below to download the report

*Required Fields