LONDON, 11 December 2023 – WTW has announced the launch of its new in-depth Climate Course, designed specifically to give pension scheme trustees the understanding of climate change they need to fulfil their fiduciary responsibilities effectively.
The course draws on the full breadth and depth of climate expertise from WTW, including its Climate Practice and experts from its Investments, Retirement, Covenant and Employee Experience teams. It can be offered in person or virtually and can be configured in a variety of ways to suit different needs providing 12 hours of content in total.
“The WTW Climate Course fills this gap by providing a clear and comprehensive grounding in climate fundamentals, before building on that to consider implications for pension schemes.”
James Fisher | WTW
James Fisher, Pensions Actuary and Climate Specialist at WTW said: “Climate destabilisation is a key systemic risk for society and presents significant issues and opportunities for pension schemes. It is a large and complex topic, but we noticed a real lack of detailed training in the market that left many trustees being forced to make decisions without a full grasp of the underlying issues.
“The WTW Climate Course fills this gap by providing a clear and comprehensive grounding in climate fundamentals, before building on that to consider implications for pension schemes. Having completed the course, trustees will be empowered to have informed discussions on this topic, challenge advisers, and have confidence in the decisions they make on behalf of their schemes and their members.”
IGG, which specialises in providing professional pensions trusteeship and governance services, is the first firm to sign up to the course. IGG employs over 150 staff and is responsible for more than 470 appointments, supporting schemes which collectively represent over 10 million members.
The first half of the course has been completed by IGG, covering the causes and impacts of climate change and carbon literacy, with the second half scheduled for the new year.
Tegs Harding, Head of Sustainability at IGG, said: “Everyone at IGG has been enrolled on this course, as we want to embed the key takeaways in all aspects of our services from governance to investment strategy. The initial feedback from colleagues has been that the course content is interesting, engaging and pitched at exactly the right level. There is a clear collective sense of responsibility to put sustainability at the heart of professional trusteeship.
“We believe in the importance of sustainability considerations for well-run pension schemes, in line with the sustainability charter we published earlier this year and our underlying commitment to creating impact.”
At WTW (NASDAQ: WTW), we provide data-driven, insight-led solutions in the areas of people, risk and capital. Leveraging the global view and local expertise of our colleagues serving 140 countries and markets, we help organizations sharpen their strategy, enhance organizational resilience, motivate their workforce and maximize performance.
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