Administration April 25, 2012

CalPERS Releases Report about Sustainable Investing Efforts

April 25, 2012 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) released its first report chronicling the pension fund’s efforts in sustainable investing.  
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The report, entitled “Towards Sustainable Investment: Taking Responsibility,” outlines CalPERS efforts to create a fiduciary framework to integrate sustainability across the pension fund’s $235 billion investment portfolio and how it will help achieve long-term risk adjusted returns. CalPERS also spells out its vision for sustainable investing in the report and how it puts sustainable principles in practice in its own Sacramento, California-based operations.

“We have a proud history of leadership and innovation in sustainable investing,” said Anne Stausboll, CalPERS CEO. “We have been engaging directly with companies on environmental, social and governance issues for many years and are founding members of global networks such as the United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment. With our new approach, we have created a roadmap for sustainable investment that will serve our members, employers, stakeholders and the companies we invest in today and in years to come.”

The report contains examples and achievements by the fund and also addresses CalPERS views on the importance of sustainable investing, including:

  • The “3Ps” of the CalPERS Program: Priorities, Performance and Procurement;
  • The core themes of alignment of interest, climate change and human capital;
  • Sustainable principles at work in the pension fund’s global proxy voting and Focus List programs; and
  • The relationships CalPERS has with leading sustainable and corporate governance associations and academic bodies.

“Sustainability in its simplest form is the ability to continue,” said Anne Simpson, director of corporate governance for CalPERS. “There are both risks and opportunities ahead. The ESG framework we’re adopting will help us make better investment decisions for the long term.”

The full report can be viewed and downloaded at the Towards Sustainable Investment page.  

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