The Dutch pension fund says it will push for improvements in ESG practices of its portfolio companies in South Korea and Japan with active engagement, including lobbying the government and the media and using its voting rights.
Major asset owners, such as APG, NZ Super and AustralianSuper, are looking to invest in data centres in Asia even as the demand for these assets outstrips the current supply.
Digital infrastructure and renewables are at the heart of the Canadian pension fund’s Asia strategy — not to mention key sectors for anticipated Asian demand.
Australia’s second largest super fund has emphasised its commitment to affordable housing at the same time as a leading campaigner for affordable housing has criticised Korea’s NPS over its property investments.
For most of the financial world, divesting Russian assets has become something of a badge of honour. Investors in APAC and elsewhere, meanwhile, are for the most part remaining tight-lipped.
More attention needs to be paid to pollution reporting by companies, their compliance to ESG standards, and commercial gains for companies that adhere to standards, asset owners say.