DC Plan Management and Pension Inconsistency: Is your Plan at Risk?

As part of Mercer’s recent global survey of Defined Contribution retirement plans, Mercer asked respondents a number of questions in order to assess the extent to which ESG issues and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies are influencing plan management. This paper discusses survey results and our observations from the field concerning potential risks from gaps between CSR strategy implementation and DC plan management.

 Go to full article

 Listen to podcast

Does responsible investing impact performance?

15 June 2010

Mercer discusses a framework for monitoring the performance impact of responsible investment on a global equity portfolio and provides insight into the initial analysis we have conducted.

 Go to full article

ESG ratings update: Measuring and monitoring your investments

14 June 2010

Mercer shares information about our growing pool of ESG ratings - now at more than 3,500 internationally.

 Go to full article

Third annual IIGCC report identifies climate change as key consideration in manager selection

15 June 2010

Mercer summarises some key points from the report, including the increase in the number of asset owners considering investment managers' climate change policies as key to selection.

 Go to full article

19 March 2010

Clients are increasingly looking to evaluate their fund managers against ESG criteria and carbon footprint across their investments. A “carbon footprint” is a measure of the impact that a company has on the environment in terms of CO2-equivalents produced. We offer a range of carbon footprint analysis services for clients to monitor managers on a quarterly and annual basis, as compared to the benchmark.

 Go to full article

Global investors collaborate on innovative climate change asset allocation study

9 March 2010

Mercer, together with 14 institutional asset owners and investors from around the world, the Carbon Trust and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, recently launched a climate change strategic asset allocation study exploring the potential impact of climate change scenarios on asset allocation. The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, together with Vivid Economics, have been engaged to lead components of the research on the economic and financial impact of climate change scenarios.

 Go to press release

February 2010

This report demonstrates that investment managers themselves underestimate turnover and often do not live up to their stated claims when it comes to the holding periods for the stocks in their portfolio. As well as examining the investment horizon of active equity investment managers, the report explores the causes, consequences and possible solutions to short-termism from the investment managers’ perspective.

 View the full report

 Go to press release

The current economic and policy climate in the United States is creating new momentum for energy efficient buildings. This report provides direct and indirect real estate investors with the background information, academic and industry research, case studies, key steps and best practices for integrating energy efficiency across their portfolios.

 View the full report

17 November 2009

Academic research continues to support the hypothesis that specific environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors can make a positive contribution to investment performance. This report summarizes and comments on sixteen academic studies—ten of which show a positive relationship between ESG factors and financial performance.

 View the free version of the report
 Learn more about purchasing the full report