Sustainable Ownership blogs
Our blogs on Sustainable Ownership and environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues will help you learn more about the Scheme's approach to its investments.
28/5/2021
Editorial
<p>You will see how and why it all works, where your contributions are invested and how your money grows.</p><h2>The Trustee</h2>The funds from your Railways Pension Scheme contributions are carefully managed by a group of employer and elected member representatives, known as “The Trustee”. The Trustee’s job – along with the help of our team
of pensions and investment specialists - is to regularly check that the Scheme administration and financial investments are doing well and to keep you informed. <br><br><h2>Our financial experts </h2>The Trustee works closely with our team of pensions and investment experts. Together, their responsibility is to pay your pension securely, affordably and sustainably. With their combined professional knowledge and financial
market insight, this team makes careful and informed decisions on where to invest your money, so that your pension pot grows and you receive the benefits you were promised. These investment and financial specialists are known as the Scheme’s “investment
manager” or <a href="https://www.railpen.com" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">RPMI Railpen</a>.
<p><br>The Trustee and Investment Manager invest members’ pension contributions into a range of assets including shares, bonds and property. Investing widely like this helps to limit risk and this diverse approach also gives your retirement savings
the best possible chance of increasing in value over the years.<br></p><h2>How your pension contributions are invested </h2><span style="background-color: initial; font-size: inherit; font-family: inherit; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto">Your pension contributions are combined into “pooled” or collective investment funds. This means your money immediately benefits from economies of scale and the team can choose from a wider, more valuable range of investments.</span><br><p><br><span style="background-color: initial; font-size: inherit; font-family: inherit; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto">Our investment team uses these funds to meet the specific needs of over 100 individual Sections within the Railways Pensions Scheme. </span></p><div>If your money was only held in cash savings, inflation could reduce its value, whereas investing gives your pension a much better chance to grow, whilst also helping the organisations your funds are supporting. The idea is that as these organisations
grow, so too does the value of your pension.<br><br></div><div>Every Section has its own specific requirements, so we work with each Section and its representatives, to create the most suitable investment strategy for them. <br><br></div><div>To guide all their decisions, the team follows firm investment beliefs and principles on valuation, risk, diversification, costs and ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors.<br><br></div><div>While we are researching investments, we look at how companies behave. Do they operate honestly and fairly? Do they care for the environment and the communities they serve and operate in? We examine our potential investments carefully as we believe
that sustainable, ethical organisations have sustainable futures. These are the organisations that will grow and last and we want to be part of them. <br><br></div><div>How these organisations use the money they receive from pension investors like you, via the Railway Pensions Scheme and RPMI Railpen, can make a big difference on behalf of us all, to the future of the world. </div><br><h2>Some examples of our recent investments <br><br></h2><ul><li>In 2017, we invested in Gigaclear, a company dedicated to building and operating ultrafast, pure fibre-to-the-premises broadband networks in rural Britain<br><br></li><li>In 2020, we purchased the majority interest in an onshore wind farm in Scotland, Carraig Gheal Wind Farm. This investment is expected to generate renewable energy over the next 30 years and help the decarbonisation of the UK energy supply<br><br></li><li>In 2021, we invested in MIPS, a company that makes a patented Brain Protection System for helmets that mimics the brain’s own protection system, offering a scientifically-proven element and much better protection than current products<br><br></li><li>In 2020, we co-invested in Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant, a biomass facility in Lincolnshire. The plant has been operational since 2014 and converts local straw into heat and energy, as a renewable source of power<br><br></li><li>In 2021, we invested in Lonza Group, a leading manufacturer of products and services to the biopharma and consumer health industries. Lonza offers direct exposure to the growth of tomorrow’s drugs<br><br></li></ul><p>We have been paying members’ pensions securely, affordably and sustainably for over 50 years. To achieve this, we continue to invest the Scheme’s assets to generate strong investment returns over the long term. <br><br>You
are in very good hands.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<p>You will see how and why it all works, where your contributions are invested and how your money grows.</p><h2>The Trustee</h2>The funds from your Railways Pension Scheme contributions are carefully managed by a group of employer and elected member representatives, known as “The Trustee”. The Trustee’s job – along with the help of our team
of pensions and investment specialists - is to regularly check that the Scheme administration and financial investments are doing well and to keep you informed. <br><br><h2>Our financial experts </h2>The Trustee works closely with our team of pensions and investment experts. Together, their responsibility is to pay your pension securely, affordably and sustainably. With their combined professional knowledge and financial
market insight, this team makes careful and informed decisions on where to invest your money, so that your pension pot grows and you receive the benefits you were promised. These investment and financial specialists are known as the Scheme’s “investment
manager” or <a href="https://www.railpen.com" target="_blank" data-sf-ec-immutable="" data-sf-marked="">RPMI Railpen</a>.
<p><br>The Trustee and Investment Manager invest members’ pension contributions into a range of assets including shares, bonds and property. Investing widely like this helps to limit risk and this diverse approach also gives your retirement savings
the best possible chance of increasing in value over the years.<br></p><h2>How your pension contributions are invested </h2><span style="background-color: initial; font-size: inherit; font-family: inherit; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto">Your pension contributions are combined into “pooled” or collective investment funds. This means your money immediately benefits from economies of scale and the team can choose from a wider, more valuable range of investments.</span><br><p><br><span style="background-color: initial; font-size: inherit; font-family: inherit; text-align: inherit; text-transform: inherit; white-space: inherit; word-spacing: normal; caret-color: auto">Our investment team uses these funds to meet the specific needs of over 100 individual Sections within the Railways Pensions Scheme. </span></p><div>If your money was only held in cash savings, inflation could reduce its value, whereas investing gives your pension a much better chance to grow, whilst also helping the organisations your funds are supporting. The idea is that as these organisations
grow, so too does the value of your pension.<br><br></div><div>Every Section has its own specific requirements, so we work with each Section and its representatives, to create the most suitable investment strategy for them. <br><br></div><div>To guide all their decisions, the team follows firm investment beliefs and principles on valuation, risk, diversification, costs and ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors.<br><br></div><div>While we are researching investments, we look at how companies behave. Do they operate honestly and fairly? Do they care for the environment and the communities they serve and operate in? We examine our potential investments carefully as we believe
that sustainable, ethical organisations have sustainable futures. These are the organisations that will grow and last and we want to be part of them. <br><br></div><div>How these organisations use the money they receive from pension investors like you, via the Railway Pensions Scheme and RPMI Railpen, can make a big difference on behalf of us all, to the future of the world. </div><br><h2>Some examples of our recent investments <br><br></h2><ul><li>In 2017, we invested in Gigaclear, a company dedicated to building and operating ultrafast, pure fibre-to-the-premises broadband networks in rural Britain<br><br></li><li>In 2020, we purchased the majority interest in an onshore wind farm in Scotland, Carraig Gheal Wind Farm. This investment is expected to generate renewable energy over the next 30 years and help the decarbonisation of the UK energy supply<br><br></li><li>In 2021, we invested in MIPS, a company that makes a patented Brain Protection System for helmets that mimics the brain’s own protection system, offering a scientifically-proven element and much better protection than current products<br><br></li><li>In 2020, we co-invested in Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant, a biomass facility in Lincolnshire. The plant has been operational since 2014 and converts local straw into heat and energy, as a renewable source of power<br><br></li><li>In 2021, we invested in Lonza Group, a leading manufacturer of products and services to the biopharma and consumer health industries. Lonza offers direct exposure to the growth of tomorrow’s drugs<br><br></li></ul><p>We have been paying members’ pensions securely, affordably and sustainably for over 50 years. To achieve this, we continue to invest the Scheme’s assets to generate strong investment returns over the long term. <br><br>You
are in very good hands.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
Blog
From payslip to pension
Let's go on a whistle-stop tour behind the scenes of your pension.
You will see how and why it all works, where your contributions are invested and how your money grows.
The Trustee
The funds from your Railways Pension Scheme contributions are carefully managed by a group of employer and elected member representatives, known as “The Trustee”. The Trustee’s job – along with the help of our team of pensions and investment specialists - is to regularly check that the Scheme administration and financial investments are doing well and to keep you informed.Our financial experts
The Trustee works closely with our team of pensions and investment experts. Together, their responsibility is to pay your pension securely, affordably and sustainably. With their combined professional knowledge and financial market insight, this team makes careful and informed decisions on where to invest your money, so that your pension pot grows and you receive the benefits you were promised. These investment and financial specialists are known as the Scheme’s “investment manager” or RPMI Railpen.
The Trustee and Investment Manager invest members’ pension contributions into a range of assets including shares, bonds and property. Investing widely like this helps to limit risk and this diverse approach also gives your retirement savings
the best possible chance of increasing in value over the years.
How your pension contributions are invested
Your pension contributions are combined into “pooled” or collective investment funds. This means your money immediately benefits from economies of scale and the team can choose from a wider, more valuable range of investments.
Our investment team uses these funds to meet the specific needs of over 100 individual Sections within the Railways Pensions Scheme.
If your money was only held in cash savings, inflation could reduce its value, whereas investing gives your pension a much better chance to grow, whilst also helping the organisations your funds are supporting. The idea is that as these organisations
grow, so too does the value of your pension.
Every Section has its own specific requirements, so we work with each Section and its representatives, to create the most suitable investment strategy for them.
To guide all their decisions, the team follows firm investment beliefs and principles on valuation, risk, diversification, costs and ESG (environmental, social and governance) factors.
While we are researching investments, we look at how companies behave. Do they operate honestly and fairly? Do they care for the environment and the communities they serve and operate in? We examine our potential investments carefully as we believe
that sustainable, ethical organisations have sustainable futures. These are the organisations that will grow and last and we want to be part of them.
How these organisations use the money they receive from pension investors like you, via the Railway Pensions Scheme and RPMI Railpen, can make a big difference on behalf of us all, to the future of the world.
Some examples of our recent investments
- In 2017, we invested in Gigaclear, a company dedicated to building and operating ultrafast, pure fibre-to-the-premises broadband networks in rural Britain
- In 2020, we purchased the majority interest in an onshore wind farm in Scotland, Carraig Gheal Wind Farm. This investment is expected to generate renewable energy over the next 30 years and help the decarbonisation of the UK energy supply
- In 2021, we invested in MIPS, a company that makes a patented Brain Protection System for helmets that mimics the brain’s own protection system, offering a scientifically-proven element and much better protection than current products
- In 2020, we co-invested in Sleaford Renewable Energy Plant, a biomass facility in Lincolnshire. The plant has been operational since 2014 and converts local straw into heat and energy, as a renewable source of power
- In 2021, we invested in Lonza Group, a leading manufacturer of products and services to the biopharma and consumer health industries. Lonza offers direct exposure to the growth of tomorrow’s drugs
We have been paying members’ pensions securely, affordably and sustainably for over 50 years. To achieve this, we continue to invest the Scheme’s assets to generate strong investment returns over the long term.
You
are in very good hands.
