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Universities Superannuation Scheme has published its annual Report and Accounts, covering the financial year in which it celebrated its 50th anniversary, together with its latest Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures report.

UCEA and UCU have been exploring Conditional Indexation benefit design options. The first of two planned reports provides an interim update on progress and highlights areas for further exploration.

Private markets already form an important part of our investment portfolio as we believe they can achieve beneficial investment outcomes for our members over the long term. We have therefore signed the new Mansion House Accord – a non-binding, voluntary expression of intent to invest at least 10% in private markets across defined contribution (DC) default funds by 2030, with at least 5% of total assets going to UK private markets.

Climate change is a significant financial risk – one that’s increasingly reshaping the way we look at our investments and their long-term returns. As we publish our latest TCFD report, I talk to the progress we’re making towards our ambition for our investments to be net zero by 2050, if not before. I also talk to our enhanced climate scenario analysis which uses our updated climate scenarios to strengthen our assessment of transition risks and we’ve incorporated physical risks in our scenario analysis for the first time.

Unlike defined contribution (DC) pensions, where members’ benefits depend on how investments perform, a defined benefit (DB) pension is a guaranteed income for life based on a formula linked to salary and years of service. One of our key legal duties as trustee is to ensure the pensions promised to members (our liabilities) can and will be paid when they fall due. This shapes how we invest: by design, our approach does not target absolute returns above all else but rather aims to outperform the scheme’s liabilities and improve the funding position.

To mark USS’s 50th anniversary, we invited David Watts (a UCU-appointed non-executive director) and Will Spinks (a UCEA-appointed non-executive director) to share their perspectives on the scheme and where it finds itself in its jubilee year.