The Church of England Pensions Board (CoEPB) has outlined responsible investment priorities for the next decade which take account of “an increasingly volatile world”, responding to domestic and global pressures on investors.
CoEPB, responsible for £3.4 billion (US$4.57 billion) in assets, listed five “ambitious priorities” intended to put it “at the forefront of responsible and ethical investment” in its 2024 Stewardship Report.
The five priorities that will shape CoEPB’s approach to responsible investment are: supporting ethical and responsible markets; tackling global systemic risks, strengthening the scheme’s home UK market; supporting peacebuilding and respect for human rights; and delivering real-world impact through investment and stewardship.
On systemic risks, CoEPB said it would focus in particular on the energy, food and mining sectors, working with other asset owners to understand the implications for investments and identify steps to address these.
The CoEPB also said it would address growing forms of conflict and challenges to human rights, “recognising the unique presence and role of the Anglican church in regions afflicted by conflict”.
To implement new priorities, the CoEPB announced new responsibilities for several members of its responsible investment team. Chief Responsible Investment Officer Adam Matthews, for example, has been appointed to the honorary role of the Special Envoy for Peacebuilding for the Archbishop of Cape Town and Co-chair of the Board of the Global Centre for Peacebuilding and Business.
“With increasing trends of protectionism, combined with a weakening of global institutions and international agreements the global rules-based system is under considerable challenge,” said Matthews.
“As a pension fund we are uniquely placed to consider longer time horizons, the systemic nature of the risks we face – and how we can respond to them in the interests of our members.”
According to a 2024 survey of 2,500 scheme members, 89% said they expected the CoEPB to be a leader in ethical and responsible investment and 93% expect it to invest with the long term in mind to deliver pension promises.
