Avon Pension Fund Engagement Highlights for 2021

14 March 2022

We’re pleased to bring you our Annual Engagement Highlights for 2021, carried out by EOS Federated Hermes on behalf of Avon Pension Fund. The report outlines our engagement and voting ESG activity for 2021. 

Our Climate Action Plan

10 March 2022

At the end of 2021 we published our very first Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) report. Today, we’re pleased to publish our Climate Action Plan – outlining the four key pillars of disclosure taken from that report that will help us reach our goal of becoming a net-zero investor by 2050 or earlier.

Following the disclosures set out by the TCFD is not yet compulsory for LGPS funds, so we are proud to be blazing the trail in this way.

A statement on the unfolding crisis in Ukraine

4 March 2022

As the worrying situation in Ukraine continues to unfold, we wanted to bring you a joint statement from the Chair of the Avon Pension Fund Committee – Councillor Paul Crossley, and the Chair of the Avon Pension Fund Investment Panel – Councillor Shaun Stephenson-McGall.

“As a leader in the field of responsible investment and where social factors, specifically human rights, form a key pillar of our responsible investment principles, we were shocked to learn of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and we are naturally concerned about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the region.

GMP Equalisation Explained

3 March 2022

In 2018, a court ruled that pension schemes must ‘equalise’ the Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) benefits for men and women. Currently, they are linked to the old state pension ages of 60 (for women) and 65 (for men).

GMPs are intended to be paid from the old state pension ages for men and women alike, (their ‘GMP age’), however they are not paid as well as a pension. This is because it is already included within the make-up of the pension. That said, the different starting ages for men and women can, in some instances, create inequality.

Responsible Investing Annual Report for 2021 now available

28 January 2022

The Avon Pension Fund is pleased to publish its latest Responsible Investment Annual Report.

The report details the activities undertaken during 2021 by the Fund, our managers and our partners to deliver and support our Responsible Investing Policy.

Avon Pension Fund publishes its annual Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Report

15 December 2021

Following a consultation, in 2017 the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) issued initial recommendations for reporting to help stakeholders in financial markets understand their climate risks and opportunities. This covers the areas of Governance, Strategy, Risk and Metrics & Targets and Avon Pension Fund has now adopted this guidance and set out its own disclosures in this report.