As we come to the end of 2025, and the end of season 2 of the Pensions for Purpose podcast, we get together with the other Pensions for Purpose directors to reflect on the year gone by. 2025 has been a mammoth year for pensions policy and there have been lots of initiatives we’ve been part of to help drive forward outcomes for people, planet and pensions. It has also been a year of ESG backlash, conflict and instability. We talk about this and discuss the challenges we’ve faced over the year. We then look ahead to 2026 – a year likely to be dominated by AI developments, more pensions policy and a continued focus on systems thinking!

Fixed income makes up a huge part of investors’ portfolios, especially in the world of pensions. As such, its crucial we focus on sustainability and impact within the world of fixed income. In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast we are joined by Bruno Bamberger and Aida Hemery from AXA to get into this important topic. We discuss labels, regulation, engagement and we address some common myths on this topic.

How important is COP 30 to investors? In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast we sit down with Michael Schlup and Johnny Brom from SAIL Investments to talk all about COP and the other key events around this.

We hear about how COP has evolved, the role of investors and the other events and announcements that we should look out for. We also dive into the significance of COP 30 being held in Brazil – home of the Amazon rainforest and many industries that are extremely nature-dependent. We discuss why we feel optimistic about positive change because of the economic value that nature brings. We get into some practical examples of what the investment industry can do to drive systemic change and change behaviour and mindsets around nature.

When we talk about the Energy Transition a lot of discussion is around renewable energy and grid infrastructure. But to successfully transition, there is so much more we need to think about – from the way we build our houses, to our heating systems and the cars we drive. All of this will need capital and could pose an exciting opportunity for investors – if structured suitably.

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast we speak to Sam Hollister and Stephen Harkin from LCP Delta about the wider opportunity set for investors when it comes to supporting Energy Transition. We also dig into the current policy environment in the UK and how this may evolve over time.

Financial Inclusion is key to meeting global sustainability goals, with a huge number of people around the world still lacking access to mainstream financial systems. Improving financial inclusion is linked to improved human and economic development.

In this episode of the Pensions for Purpose podcast we speak to Lorna Logan from Stewart Investors about just how important financial inclusion – and how investors can find some great opportunities in this sector!

The energy transition poses one of the greatest opportunities of our lifetimes – from both an economic and impact perspective. But in times of such geopolitical uncertainty, it can be unclear exactly what the future looks like.

In this episode we are joined by Hilkka Komulainen, Quinbrook’s Global Head of Sustainability and Impac,t to dive into this subject. We discuss how the cost of action compares with the cost of inaction, how to centre people in the Energy transition and the huge opportunity set that exists for investors!

A significant amount of money is concentrated across a small handful of bulk annuity insurers – and this pot is only growing as more Defined Benefit Pension Schemes go to buyout.

These insurers are long-term asset owners and so are significantly exposed to sustainability-related risks and opportunities.

In this episode we are joined by Tatiana Von Petersdorff and Matt Foley from EY to find out how the pensions industry is coming together to address sustainability and impact in pensions insurance.

The world around us feels quite scary – whether it’s the rollback of sustainability practices, the rise in hate speech and oppression, or the ongoing wars - there are many things that can leave us in despair.

As sustainability professionals who are looking to tackle these issues, this landscape can be very challenging to navigating, often leading to burnout.

In this episode, we have an open and honest discussion about how we can tackle burnout and retain hope for a better future, where financial systems support people and planet.