Global Public Pensions 2022

Protecting gains, generating returns, building sustainable assets and improving operating models top priority lists, according to OMFIF survey

The 2022 edition of OMFIF’s Global Public Pensions paints a clear and stark picture of the fundamentally changed investment challenges facing the world’s biggest asset owners.
The report covers the top 100 global public pension and largest 50 sovereign funds with total assets of over $27tn. And, for the first time, this year’s GPP contains a bespoke survey of the investment plans of global public funds worth over $3tn combined.

Key report findings:
• GPFs are getting more active and moving away from liquid assets. A net 10% of survey respondents anticipate decreasing their exposure to cash over the next one to two years.

• For the first time in recent memory, an OMFIF survey of global public investors shows a reallocation away from the renminbi. The biggest concern over China is geopolitical tensions – cited by over 70% of respondents.

• Around 15% of survey participants said they will decrease their domestic holdings over the next two years, while close to 30% plan to increase ownership of foreign assets – often with the help of external managers.

• Climate change is one of the top two long-term concerns of more than 50% of GPFs. Many of them are trying to do something about it. Over 80% of respondents plan to invest more in renewable industries and 50% plan to increase allocations to green bonds.

• Integrating new technology and tools, security issues and costs are key technology issues for over 50% of GPFs. Better use of data lies at the heart of the problem. More than 80% of funds state that building or improving internal data management systems are their main data priorities over the next two years.

In partnership with: