Taking action on climate risk: improving governance and reporting by occupational pension schemes

This consultation seeks views on policy proposals to require trustees of larger occupational pension schemes and authorised schemes to have effective governance, strategy, risk management and accompanying metrics and targets for the assessment and management of climate risks and opportunities. It also invites responses on proposals to disclose these in line with the recommendations of the international industry-led Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

It is proposed that among the activities required would be calculating the ‘carbon footprint’ of pension schemes and assessing how the value of the schemes’ assets or liabilities would be affected by different temperature rise scenarios, including the ambitions on limiting the global average temperature rise set out in the Paris Agreement. The disclosures would be required to be made publicly available, referenced from the schemes’ Annual reports and Accounts, and pension savers informed of the availability of the information via their annual benefit statement.