George Fraser-Harding

Significant shifts in the defined benefit (DB) pension schemes landscape mean that as schemes mature, trustees and sponsors now face a broader spectrum of strategic choices. We explain why the choice between buyout and run-on is no longer binary.

Having crunched the data, our private markets research team looks at how evolving macro conditions are impacting private debt returns.

Financial flows shall be “consistent with low greenhouse-gas emissions and climate-resilient development”, according to Article 2.1.c of the Paris Agreement. Yet most finance continues to flow to business as usual. How can this change?

Asset-based finance is capturing the attention of institutional investors – from pension schemes to insurers – thanks to its diverse risk-return drivers and its growing role as a strategic building block in investors’ portfolios.

In this article Viktor Dietrich, Research Director for infrastructure, venture capital and natural capital, revisits the case for investing in European infrastructure equity. He suggests reasons why small-to-mid-sized opportunities should feature prominently on investors’ radar.

Holistic stewardship across corporates, value chains, and sovereigns is essential to shaping viable, investable climate transitions. But its focus must now move beyond targets to the real-world delivery needed to make those targets achievable.

Vital industries for UK growth like steel or cement are also energy intensive, and their decarbonisation is essential. We convened a roundtable of experts to discuss barriers and solutions to unlocking low-carbon investment opportunities.

The UK government has published a raft of policies and action plans on decarbonisation over the past 12 months. We assess the progress to date and discuss what remains to be done.

While fewer shareholder resolutions were tabled at company AGMs, we continued to encourage high standards of corporate governance practice, recognising individual company context and the importance of long-term value creation.

In our latest private markets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macro conditions are reflected in private debt returns.

While opportunities in European high yield real estate debt remain, growing competition underscores the need for deep market expertise, a robust underwriting framework, and disciplined deal selection to identify and capture resilient value.

A set of megatrends is reshaping the world, creating new opportunities and risks for investments in private markets.

Agriculture is integral to reaching net-zero emissions and reversing nature loss. Its transition also presents huge investment opportunities. We held a roundtable of experts to discuss challenges and solutions.

In our latest private markets deep dive, our research team crunches the data to see how evolving macro conditions are reflected in private debt returns. 

Investor engagement with governments on their climate commitments can be a powerful complement to other forms of stewardship. It can also help investors identify opportunities and mitigate risks, says Thomas Dillon.

Designed to support our holistic stewardship approach, Aviva Investors adopted its Climate Stewardship 2030 programme (CS30) in 2024.