ACCESS, a U.K. pool of local authority pension funds, selected Minerva Analytics as its first ESG adviser, a spokesman confirmed.
Minerva Analytics will review and revise the pool's responsible investment guidelines to ensure they capture the most up-to-date ESG, stewardship and climate change practices across all asset classes.
The pool's objective is to develop a best-in-class investment offer for LGPS member funds, ensuring responsible investment practices are well informed and effectively deployed, Councillor Mark Kemp-Gee, chairman of the ACCESS joint committee, said in a news release Wednesday.
ACCESS' 11 member funds have a combined £31 billion ($43.4 billion) in assets.
The pool searched for Minerva using the National LGPS Framework, a pre-selected panel of providers. All local authority funds are required to procure services through these frameworks.
All pre-selected providers under the stewardship advisory framework were invited to apply for the contract in November.
Interviews were held in January, with Minerva's contract starting in February.
