What You Read: The CFA Blogs That Resonated Most
Over the past two years, we've explored a wide range of topics at the intersection of public pensions, climate risk, and worker power. We've broken down complex fiduciary concepts, highlighted emerging investment strategies, shared stories from organizers and trustees, and welcomed guest perspectives that have challenged and expanded our thinking.
Along the way, we have learned that people are looking for practical, accessible resources that help connect public finance to everyday life. Resources that explain how pension systems work, why climate risk matters to retirement security, and how workers can play a meaningful role in shaping the future of their funds.
The articles below are some of the resources our community returned to most often. Whether you're new to pension engagement or looking to deepen your understanding, we hope they offer a helpful place to start.
Understanding Pension Investing
Total Portfolio Approach vs. Strategic Asset Allocation
What do sailing and pension investing have in common? More than you might think. This article uses a simple analogy to explain the difference between Strategic Asset Allocation (SAA) and the Total Portfolio Approach (TPA), and why greater flexibility matters as pension funds navigate climate risk and long-term uncertainty.
Active vs. Passive Investing: Why Does It Matter for Climate and Public Pensions?
Active and passive investing are two of the most common approaches to managing pension assets. Learn how each strategy works, where they differ, and why those differences matter for climate stewardship, shareholder engagement, and long-term retirement security.
Private vs. Public Markets: What's the Difference?
Public and private markets play different but complementary roles in the global economy. This guide explains how each market operates, the risks and opportunities they present, and why understanding both is essential for pension beneficiaries and trustees.
Understanding IRR vs. TWRR Through an Analogy
Investment performance can be measured in different ways depending on the question you're trying to answer. This plain-language explainer uses an everyday analogy to break down Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and Time-Weighted Rate of Return (TWRR).
Asset Owners vs. Asset Managers and Their Impact on Climate Action
Who actually owns your pension assets? And who makes day-to-day investment decisions? This article explains the distinct roles of asset owners and asset managers and why understanding that relationship matters for responsible investing and climate action.
Guest Perspectives
Investing in Our Labor and Climate Future: "Bread for All, and Roses Too"
Guest blog by Todd Lu, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Cincinnati
Todd Lu explores why labor and climate movements often approach "green jobs" from different perspectives and what institutional investors can do to help build stronger coalitions that advance both worker prosperity and climate resilience.
Protecting Our Future: Why Public Pension Funds Should Invest in Public Climate Insurance Risk Pools
Guest blog by Steve Brandt, Chief Development Officer, InnSure
As climate-related disasters become more frequent and costly, Steve Brandt examines how climate insurance risk pools can help pension funds manage long-term financial risk while strengthening community resilience.
Artisanal Mining and the Opportunity for Pension Funds to Enhance Sustainability
Guest blog by Rob Karpati, The Blended Capital Group
Rob Karpati explores how improving standards in artisanal and small-scale mining can reduce systemic risk, stabilize critical mineral supply chains, and create long-term investment opportunities that align with fiduciary duty.
Climate, Workers & Retirement Security
The Essential Link Between Climate and Queer Justice
Climate change affects communities differently, and building resilient economies requires recognizing those differences. This article explores how responsible investing can help protect retirement security while advancing a more inclusive and equitable future.
The Economic Impact of Climate Change on Workers
Climate change is reshaping economies, workplaces, and retirement security. This article examines how rising climate-related costs disproportionately affect workers and why long-term investors have a role to play in building a more resilient economy.
Why This Work Matters
At Climate Finance Action, we believe that understanding the financial system is the first step toward participating in it.
Public pensions, fiduciary duty, climate risk, and investment governance can feel technical, but they shape workers' retirement security, communities, and economic future every day. Our commitment has been to making these topics more accessible through practical tools and stories that connect finance to people's lived experiences.
We believe public pension funds should be stewarded in ways that protect long-term retirement security while helping build a resilient, inclusive economy. And we believe workers deserve the knowledge and confidence to engage with the systems their deferred wages have helped create.
Whether you're just beginning to learn about pension governance or looking to deepen your understanding, we hope these resources help you ask better questions, start new conversations, and see the possibilities for collective action.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and growing alongside us.
