Eurosif launches first comprehensive EU-wide study on the extent and in what manner corporate pension funds across Europe have adopted sustainable investment practices.

Eurosif’s 2011 Corporate Pension Funds Study shows that 56% of surveyed corporate pension funds have an SRI policy in place today and that about a quarter of those without an SRI policy intend to have one on the coming year. A greater majority feel that environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors affect the long-term performance and their integration into investment decisions is part of investors’ fiduciary duty. Equities, bonds and real estate are the most popular asset classes in the implementation of SRI policies.

Read the full press release.

Read the Eurosif 2011 Corporate Pension Funds & Sustainable Investment Study.

UKSIF will this week call on leading companies to assist and encourage their corporate pension funds to support the UK Stewardship Code and implement responsible ownership and investment practices. UKSIF will also say that these plan sponsors should educate employees, customers and suppliers about the value of responsible investment practices.

The call will be made at Friday’s launch of UKSIF’s third biennial “Responsible Business: Sustainable Pension” report on the responsible investment approaches of the UK pension funds of corporate responsibility leaders. The launch is hosted by the National Association of Pension Funds.

Read the full press release.

Read the FTfm coverage.

UKSIF has this week launched the 2011 “Responsible Business: Sustainable Pension” survey to help major UK corporate pension funds learn more about best practice in Responsible Investment (RI) and how trustees are responding to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues and challenges in the practical implementation of RI policies.

The survey is being sent out as part of a biennial study conducted by the UKSIF Sustainable Pensions Project. It builds on earlier surveys in 2007 and 2009 and will enable the pension fund industry to track progress on RI implementation over time.

New questions for 2011 include how pension funds are implementing the UK Stewardship Code and whether trustees have held in-depth discussions on major issues like climate change.

Read the full press release.