For many UK DC pension schemes, sustainability has become a core part of investment decision-making. But some uncomfortable questions remain: are current approaches actually achieving meaningful real-world impact, or simply creating portfolios that look sustainable on paper? And are they delivering what members really want?
As regulatory frameworks mature and industry thinking evolves, the conversation is shifting beyond labels, exclusions and categorisation. Investors are increasingly asking what genuinely drives change in the real economy – and whether current sustainable investment strategies are equipped to achieve it.
What you will learn:
- Janette Weir, co-founder of Ignition House will launch research with the DCIF which explores what members really care about in society, and how this translates into their pension money. What social issues matter most to them? How much do they understand about how their money is invested – and how do they feel about their pension money being used to generate positive social outcomes?
- We will discuss how DC schemes can balance their fiduciary duty to deliver strong member outcomes with growing expectations around sustainability and impact.
- We will consider the industry’s transition from static classifications towards more forward-looking, transition-aligned approaches. What does this mean for portfolio construction across public and private markets? How should schemes assess whether their investments are genuinely supporting sustainability goals? And what practical barriers could prevent portfolios from delivering the outcomes investors are seeking?
Bringing together leading asset owners, consultants and investment specialists, this roundtable will challenge conventional thinking and explore what real-world impact looks like in practice – and what UK DC schemes may need to do differently to achieve it.
