Australian superannuation funds are leading the expansion in responsible investment, with institutional investors driving the market to $1.03 trillion (A$1.6 trillion) as ESG integration becomes increasingly mainstream.
The Australian Superannuation Investment Summit wrapped up with substantive exchanges between industry leaders and US officials, as Australia's $2.8 trillion pension pool continues to deploy capital globally with a focus on infrastructure and private markets.
UniSuper's strategic enhancement of its private credit holdings is indicative of a significant super industry shift towards seeking higher, diversified returns in a challenging financial environment.
Australia's top super funds are increasing their global asset allocations, as the superannuation system continues to see growth rates not seen by its global peers.
The expansion of SDI AOP, the world’s largest investor-led sustainable investment platform, into REITs — including those in Asia — reflects growing investor demand for data on real assets and private markets.
More frequent valuations of unlisted assets will prove costly for Australian super funds, with particular challenges around property and assets held abroad.
The Australian super funds become the latest to merge as government reforms targeting fees and performance continue to drive consolidations across the nation’s retirement landscape.
Labor’s proposals to ban early access to retirement savings and direct super funds to invest into nation building projects might be seen as an overstep by the government.