The World Bank indirectly invests part of its $18.8 billion staff pension fund in companies in industries such as coal and tobacco, holdings that clash with the development institution's own calls for ethical and low-carbon investing.
In an internal post to staff seen by Reuters, the World Bank's treasurer said around 40 per cent of the fund's equity holdings are actively or passively invested against equity index funds, which include companies in industries associated with environmental and health problems.
Two World Bank sources, who asked not to be identified, showed Reuters discussions between staff and managers on an internal site and a research note produced by employees. The note expressed concern about the pension and gave details of the holdings, questioning why the bank does not use socially responsible alternatives.
In its own lending practices across the developing world, the bank refuses to invest in tobacco production and has banned financial support for the construction of coal-fired electricity except for the poorest countries that lack other options.
The Washington-based bank’s pension fund, details of whose holdings have not previously been reported, was ranked a ‘laggard’ in transparency and managing climate risks in a report released this week by the Asset Owners Disclosure Project, which pushes asset owners to address climate change risks.
It ranked lower than the pension funds of companies including British Coal and the state oil fund of Azerbaijan.
“It’s very difficult for the bank to take a position where it is promoting sustainable growth and not managing the risks in their large portfolio – or telling anyone about it,' said Julian Poulter, chief executive of the initiative.
While the pension fund is required to prioritise financial gains for staff, investment analysts said it could be directed into pre-screened or tailored funds that exclude companies that fail to follow sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
The bank’s pension fund assets are held in a separate legal trust administered by its Pension Finance Committee (PFC), chaired by the World Bank’s chief financial officer and including a mix of members from management, staff and retirees. External managers run the funds on a day-to-day basis. The PFC did not respond to Reuters request for comment.
The World Bank has a responsibility to manage the money “in the best interest of plan beneficiaries,” the bank said in a statement to Reuters.
The bank said it does not comment on specific pension investments, adding that it opts for a “principled yet pragmatic approach” within the fund’s overall requirements that considers ESG risks and opportunities “where material and relevant”.
The bank has called on others to divest from fossil fuel companies and its president, Jim Yong Kim, has asked long-term investors “to recognise their fiduciary responsibility” to reveal their exposure to climate change-related impacts. The bank is conducting a review of its corporate sustainability policies, but says its pension fund investments are not included in that process because they have a separate governance structure.
Participation in the pension fund is mandatory for World Bank employees. It has about 15,000 current employees and around 10,000 retired beneficiaries.
Not all beneficiaries are calling for change. Kenneth Lay, the vice president of the World Bank alumni group – the 1818 Society – said the fund should focus on maximising returns.
Some of the pension’s holdings are invested in the Russell 3000 index, which tracks 3,000 companies including coal producers Peabody Coal and Arch Coal and tobacco giant Philip Morris, according to the employees’ research note.
Others are invested in funds tied to Morgan Stanley’s MSCI index, which includes major fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil, according to that note.
MSCI and other indexes offer portfolios that screen out companies in industries with perceived ethical problems. Some of these funds have performed as well or better than the bank’s current investments.