Scottish Borders Pension Fund, a £900m LGPS fund, has confirmed its first natural capital allocation with an initial investment in Nuveen’s flagship Global Timberland strategy.
The Scottish Borders Council declared a climate emergency in 2020 and has since committed to expanding investments in climate solutions as part of a broader drive to decarbonise the pension fund’s portfolio.
David Parker, chair of the Scottish Borders Council Pension Fund, commented on the investment: “The pension fund’s core objective is to provide our end investors with stable returns and we are increasingly putting their capital to work to drive positive environmental and social outcomes.
“The Nuveen Global Timberland strategy and its investment philosophy is fully aligned with these ambitions and will help us in our journey towards a more sustainable portfolio. Moreover, the depth of Nuveen’s overall investment platform, the strategy’s global scope and income profile were key factors in forming the partnership.”
The investment in Nuveen’s Global Timberland strategy marks Scottish Borders’ first investment in natural capital. It did not disclose the amount of the investment but it is already considering further allocations across Nuveen’s forestry and farmland fund range.
Nuveen invests among others on behalf of the American The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA), and currently manages over $2.1bn of timberland assets consisting of over 873,000 acres of forestry globally, making it one of the top ten managers in the asset class worldwide.
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