Metropolitan-NUL Research Chair holds 4th RoundTable Seminar

A fourth virtual RoundTable Discussion, on the 24th June 2022, will be held under the theme: The Pension Funds (Investment) Regulations 2020: Should They Integrate ESG Factors as a Requirement for Funds’ Investment Policies? The virtual RoundTable Discussions/ webinars are organized by the Metropolitan-NUL Research Chair in Pension Law Studies hosted by the Faculty of Law.

ESG is an acronym standing for Environment, Social and Governance and ESG investing relates to “when an investor uses a socially conscious set of standards for a company’s operations to screen potential investments”. This is otherwise known as Sustainable Investing.

Environmental criteria examine how an organization performs as a steward of nature, an important consideration taking into account climate change; social criteria examine how an organization manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and communities while governance deals with a company’s leadership, board composition, alignment with stakeholders and stakeholder rights.

The Metropolitan-NUL Research Chairman and Dean of Faculty of Law Prof. Mtende Mhango will be the host while Adv. Mothepa Ndumo will be the moderator. Panellists the session will be:

1. Kim Robinson (Consultant, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, New York; CEO, Renaissance Strategic Solutions, Johannesburg)
2. Semoli Mokhanoi (Mergence Investments Managers)
3. Teboho Mphana (Investments Analyst)

This virtual Round Table Discussion will tackle questions such as:

• How have the industry players in Lesotho navigated sustainable investing in a regulatory environment that has not integrated ESG investment requirements?
• How many assets under investment would the players say would qualify as ESG compliant?
• Is ESG regulatory integration feasible and desirable in Lesotho’s new pension funds regulation dispensation?
• What would ESG integration look like from a regulatory perspective?
• How would ESG compliance be monitored under the current arrangements?

The Metropolitan-NUL Research Chair programme launched a Round Table Discussions Series known as “In Conversation with the Pension Funds Industry” on 23^rd April, 2021. The purpose is to facilitate public education and conversations about pension industry developments.