Canada’s top pension funds boost investments in oil sands Canada’s biggest pension managers boosted their investments in the country’s major oil sands companies in the first quarter of 2021, raising questions about the funds’ recent commitments to greening their portfolios.
The cumulative investment by the country's top five pension funds into the U.S.-listed shares of Canada's top four oil sands producers jumped to $2.4 billion in the first quarter of 2021, up 147% from a year ago, a Reuters analysis of U.S. 13-F filings show. Much of that increase, which bucked a declining trend since 2018, came from rising prices of shares already owned, but the funds also purchased more shares.
The five funds, in order of size, are Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Caisse de dpt et placement du Qubec (CDPQ), Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP), British Columbia Investment Management Corp (BCI) and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP), which together manage more than C$1.4 trillion ($1.2 trillion) in assets.
Governments, companies and investors around the world have stepped up pledges to drastically reduce climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Some large pension managers, including the New York State Pension Fund and Norway's largest pension fund KLP, have exited oil sands companies. read more
Canadian pensions face pressure to balance a mandate to be environmentally responsible with their fiduciary duty to maximise returns. Canada's oil sands are a high-carbon industry, yet their rising shares prices are tempting for investors. read more
Some Canadian pension funds say they favour continuing to invest in fossil fuel producers to help those firms transition toward producing cleaner energy.
"We have a big problem with pension funds saying we believe in engagement, not divestment, but there's no sign of this engagement," said Adam Scott, director of pension activist group Shift. "The very act of owning them (oil sands companies) implies the funds do not support transition."