Asian investors with US$2.3 trillion in assets join Climate Action 100+

23rd October 2018

World’s largest pension fund GPIF of Japan announced as a Supporter of initiative. Initiative drives momentum in investor engagement activity across Asia, with upswing in signatories across the region.


Climate Action 100+
 is today announcing strong growth in investor participation across Asia and Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), as the latest investor to join the initiative1. As the world’s largest single pension fund2, GPIF’s decision to join Climate Action 100+ adds further significant momentum in global growth of the investor-led corporate engagement initiative.

Climate Action 100+ is honored to welcome GPIF as a Supporter. The risks and the opportunities of climate change call for global partnership and GPIF’s support will be vital to our success.

Anne Simpson, Investment Director, CalPERS and Climate Action 100+ Steering Committee Chair

The total number of investors now involved in the initiative has now surpassed 3103, representing over US$32 trillion in assets collectively under management.

In just the past five months, we’ve seen investors across Asia collectively representing US$959 billion in assets under management join Climate Action 100+. That’s before you even factor in GPIF,”  “While it’s true the ESG landscape is more mature in some respects across Europe and North America, the progress being made through Climate Action 100+ here in Asia demonstrates this is beginning to change. Asian investors increasingly understand the benefits involved, from contributing to addressing climate change and helping safeguard their own investments in the process.

Emily Chew, Global Head of ESG Research and Integration, Manulife Asset Management, Chair of the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change and a member of the Climate Action 100+ global Steering Committee.

Asian investors continue to join the initiative, with six new signatories coming on board since late May, including Nikko Asset Management, China Asset Management Company, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corporation, Fukoku Capital Management,  Resona Bank and most recently GPIF. They join existing investors from Japan and asset owners from Taiwan and Indonesia.

GPIF has long been recognised as demonstrating a strong commitment to the ESG agenda. Today’s news follows a recent announcement that it will allocate US$10 billion domestically and internationally, to passive funds tracking environmental stock indices 4.

GPIF joins Climate Action 100+ as a Supporter. Supporters fully endorse the goals and objectives of the initiative, while not undertaking direct engagement with companies.


Notes to Editor

  1. See GPIF announcement here.
  1. The Government Pension Investment Fund reports assets under management of around US$1.4tn.
  1. A full list of members is available on the Climate Action 100+ website here.
  2. See GPIF announcement here.

About Climate Action 100+

Climate Action 100+ is a five-year initiative led by investors to engage many of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters and companies across all sectors of the global economy that have significant opportunities to drive the clean energy transition and achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Investors are calling on companies to improve governance on climate change, curb emissions and strengthen climate-related financial disclosures.

Climate Action 100+ is coordinated by five partner organisations: Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC); Ceres; Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC); Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC); and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). It builds upon the collaborative investor engagement pioneered since 2012 by the four organisations that together form the Global Investor Coalition on Climate Change. It also draws upon the leadership of PRI and its investor engagements across environmental, social and governance issues.  For more information, visit: www.ClimateAction100.org and follow: @ActOnClimate100.