Eva Cairns, Head of Responsible Investment at Scottish Widows, comments on how ESG factors are influencing people's investment decisions and expectations of their employers, and the need for more knowledge about responsible pensions.

Scottish Widows’ Responsibly Invested Pensions Report has surveyed employees, employers and financial advisers, to better understand their views of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) related issues. Finding reveal pension savers are concerned about the issues impacting the world into which they will retire, influencing how they expect their pensions to be invested, and their employers’ role in this. While the report highlights strong employee demand for responsible pensions, lack of awareness and education remain key barriers, with many people unaware of how to switch from their default pension to an alternative investment option that may be better suited to meet their objectives.

Eva Cairns, Head of Responsible Investment, Scottish Widows, said:

Employees are increasingly seeking to make sure their investments – including pensions – deliver financial return while considering the impact on people and planet, and there is clear demand for more responsibly invested options. We know pension savers are concerned about financial security and believe that considering risks and opportunities related to ESG can help build more resilient investment portfolios – but it’s also about contributing to a more sustainable future, tackling some of the societal issues people care about.

Full press release: Three-quarters of UK workers expect responsible pensions from their employer

Media contacts:
Teamspirit – Teamspirit@scottishwidows.co.uk 
Scottish Widows – pressoffice@scottishwidows.co.uk

Last month Scottish Widows announced that it was embarking on a new strategic partnership with leading asset manager Robeco to shape its investment offering for UK pension savers, with responsible investing fitted as standard.