In a major victory for long-term pension sustainability, one of Canada’s largest pension funds has entered into an agreement to sell its last known remaining privately owned fossil fuel asset. OMERS has held a stake in Exolum, a distributor and transporter of refined oil and aviation fuel in Spain and Britain, since 2016. On May 22, Reuters reported that OMERS had entered an agreement to sell its stake – a decision which makes sense from both a financial and a climate perspective.

In deciding whether or not to support a shareholder proposal calling for full disclosure of Enbridge’s scope 3 emissions on May 8th, Canada’s largest pension funds need look no further than their own policies, reports or membership in Climate Engagement Canada.

On May 8th, Enbridge is holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM), where the shareholders and executives of Canada’s largest fossil fuel pipeline company will gather to make key decisions about the coming year. Shareholders will be voting on a proposal asking the company to “annually disclose all of its scope 3 emissions using accepted definitions and in absolute terms.”

For Canada’s pension sector, voting for the scope 3 emissions proposal at Enbridge’s AGM should be a no-brainer.

Shift welcomes the release of the Climate Engagement Canada Focus List. Company engagement is an essential part of any credible finance institution’s zero-emissions transition strategy. There are however, some important caveats to engagement which must be considered, especially when it comes to oil and gas companies.

Yesterday, OMERS became the fourth Canadian pension manager to commit to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. While we welcome this positive step, OMERS has a long way to go to transition its portfolio onto a zero emissions pathway.