Former UNPRI Chair steps into lead investor/climate change role

Donald Macdonald, former Chairman of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC). The IIGCC lobbies on environmental investment issues for more than 70 pension funds and asset managers in Europe with around €6 trillion in assets. He takes over from Ole Beier Sørensen, Chief of Strategy and Research at ATP, the Danish pensions giant, who has been IIGCC Chairman since May 2009. Macdonald, who stepped down from the PRI Chair last year to be replaced by Wolfgang Engshuber, is a Trustee Director of the BT Pension Scheme and was a former President of the UK Communication Workers Union. In addition, the IIGCC has elected three new members to itssteering committee: Ulrik Dan Weuder, Head of Investments and Structuring at ATP, Eric Jan Stork, Senior Sustainability Specialist at APG Asset Management and Helene Winch, a Director at the BT Pension Scheme. Macdonald, said: “This is an extremely exciting time to be taking on the role of IIGCC Chairman. The policy landscape must shift in favour of low carbon investments and the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban at the end of the month provides the investor community with an important opportunity to discuss with policymakers the necessary measures to achieve this shift. Working closely with our members I am confident in furthering the progress made by the IIGCC in recent years.”