JP Work Programme

Just Pensions' work programme has been developed in order to meet Just Pensions' aims and objectives, which seek to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals by improving the social and environmental impact of foreign trade and investment in developing countries.



Just Pensions Publishes New Survey on Trustees' Attitudes to SRI

Just Pensions worked in close collaboration with the Ashridge Centre for Business & Society (ACBAS) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to co-publish two reports, 'Will UK Pension Funds Become More Responsible?' a survey of over 100 member-nominated pension fund trustees' attitudes to SRI (Jan 2003); and 'Will UK Pension Funds Become More Responsible? 2004 edition', a wider survey of 130 trustees, of whom roughly a quarter were employee-nominated (Jan 2004).

Download the report:
"Will UK Pension Funds Become More Responsible?" (2006 Edition) [PDF, 183kb].

"Will UK Pension Funds Become More Responsible?" (2004 Edition)



Trustee Education & Awareness Raising Programme (2005)

This year, the trustee education and awareness raising programme will focus on the dissemination of the 2005 edition of the Just Pensions Responsible Investment Trustee Toolkit, designed to help pension fund trustees understand more about SRI and how they might integrate SRI into their scheme's long-term investment strategy. Over 2005, Just Pensions will disseminate the toolkit at a variety of events and conferences. Just Pensions will also work closely with a number of trustee networks through small roundtables, seminars and training events, encouraging trustees to use the toolkit to find out more about SRI and to help trustees integrate SRI into their pension fund's investment strategy. In particular, Just Pensions will be working with the TUC's member-nominated trustee network, Pensions Resource Groups and Forum for the Future's corporate partner's pension fund trustee network.

If you would like to talk about Just Pensions presenting the toolkit at an event or to a sub-set of trustees, please e-mail Cassie Higgs. We also expect that the toolkit will be used to help improve the quality of trustee training on SRI issues offered by investment consultants and others.



Engagement Programme

The European facing part of our engagement programme will help Eurosif (our sister organisation) pilot transparency guidelines [PDF, 38kb] for fund managers to use when reporting on their engagement and shareholder activism to trustees and others. The internally facing part of the programme will continue to facilitate our fund manager members' understanding of how best to engage on behalf of pension funds and others.



Sectoral Research Notes (2003-2005)

Just Pensions sectoral research notes will identify the most important material SEE risks and one developing country risk for c12 of the main FTSE sectors during these two years — starting with sectors like pharmaceuticals which have a high potential or actual impact in developing countries. The short research notes are distributed to pension fund trustees and others, and a UKSIF/Just Pensions sectoral event follows the production of each note.



Pro-Poor Investment Programme (2003-2005)

Just Pensions pro-poor investment work programme aims to identify concrete steps that can be taken by pension funds and their fund managers to propose changes in companies, industries and/or regulatory frameworks, in order to improve companies' contributions to sustainable pro-poor development and safeguard the long term prospects of pension fund investments. In 2003/2004, Just Pensions covered the Pharma and Food sectors, and may cover the Extractives or Financial sector in 2005.



Survey of Current Practice on SRI in the Charity Sector

Just Pensions worked in association with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and the Ethical Investment Research Service (EIRIS) to co-publish 'Do UK Charities Invest Responsibly?' a report on the current practice of SRI in the charity sector, based on a survey of over 100 of the largest charities and in-depth interviews with a number of key informants.



APPG

All of the above will continue to feed into our public policy work and the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on SRI.