News in brief: 30 January 2026

- Dutch pension fund PMT’s provisional funding ratio at the end of the fourth quarter was 122.6 per cent, a “sharp” increase from 108.4 per cent at the start of 2025 due to increased interest rates and a positive return on the return portfolio.

The fund’s policy funding ratio as of 31 December 2025 was 115.3 per cent, while it reported that its current funding ratio was 122.6 per cent. Additionally, the fund’s return on its matching portfolio was -7.3 per cent, while the return on the return portfolio was 2.6 per cent. Meanwhile, assets decreased by €1.1bn to €86.4bn, pension liabilities decreased by €3.6bn to €70.4bn last quarter, and the investment return for the fourth quarter of 2025 was 1.6 per cent.

Commenting on the results, PMT chairman on behalf of the employers, Terry Troost, said: “Our financial position improved significantly in 2025. Based on the funding ratio, there is immediate room to increase pensions when the pension is converted [to the new Dutch pension system that it transitioned to at the start of the year]. In the coming months, we will carefully convert all existing entitlements to the new pension scheme. For each participant, we calculate what the pension (assets) will look like in the new scheme. The successful transition to the new scheme so far is the result of careful preparation and good cooperation with our pension provider PGGM and fiduciary asset manager MN. As a result, we start the year with positive energy to take the next steps in the field of services, communication and choice guidance, so that our participants know that the pension for the metal and technology sector will continue to be well arranged with PMT."

- Aon and Irish Life Investment Managers (ILIM) have partnered to launch a €260m emerging markets climate transition fund in Ireland.

The Aon Emerging Markets Climate Transition Fund allows Irish pension investors to support the transition to a low‑carbon global economy across emerging markets, providing an alternative to traditional passive emerging market equity investments. Building on Aon’s long-term partnership with ILIM, the fund’s investments will be focused on companies that align with net-zero targets and advance UN Sustainable Development Goals. The initial allocation for the fund is €260m, and the fund will be integrated into the Aon Multi-Asset fund range. ILIM worked with Aon in designing and developing the solution to meet Aon’s clients’ needs. The strategy excludes certain types of investments, including companies involved in controversial weapons, tobacco production, thermal coal mining, and those that violate the UN Global Compact.

- Iceland’s pension fund Almenni-Lífsverk, which is the result of the merger between Almenni and Lífsverk pension funds last year, has launched a naming competition for the merged fund.

The fund currently operates under the Almenni-Lífsverk pension fund but is looking for a new name and has opened the naming competition to the public. The deadline for submissions is 5 February 2026, and the prize for the winning proposal is an ISK 100,000 gift voucher. If more than one person submits the same proposal, the winner will be decided by a draw.

- Insurance and Pension Denmark (I&P Denmark) has called the agreement between Germany and Denmark for wind turbines of up to three gigawatts to be built in the Baltic Sea in connection with EnergiØ Bornholm a “good agreement” and a “breakthrough in regional agreements on offshore wind and green energy plants”.

The agreement was made at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg earlier this week (26 January) and will see the energy generated from the wind turbines available to both Danish and German consumption. I&P Denmark explained that Germany needs large amounts of green electricity but does not have enough suitable seabed for them to construct the large offshore wind turbines, while Denmark does. This agreement follows the agreement between a large number of European countries that will deliver 100 gigawatts of offshore wind in the North Sea. Commenting on the agreement, I&P Denmark CEO, Kent Damsgaard, said: “The Danish market for investments in offshore wind has been deadlocked because the risk of investing in Danish offshore wind has been great. The agreement will provide a guarantee of a fixed settlement price, and this reduces the investors' risk and lowers the requirement for the expected return. Therefore, the agreement expands the market and the opportunities to attract international investors – such as pension companies – become greater.”

- Finnish earnings-related pension provider Varma has combined its Risk Assessment and Risk Analysis into a single offering, the Risk Map.

The map, intended for HR and those in charge of work ability management who monitor the development of the company's work ability risk, provides companies with an easy and visually clear way to perceive the situation of work ability risks at a glance. The risk map is suitable for companies of all sizes. However, Varma’s recommendations for the sizes of companies differ when filling out the map. It said that larger companies and groups should map out all the modules of the map, while smaller companies can focus on the areas that are most meaningful in everyday life. The map consists of seven modules, including proactive work ability management, practices for ensuring work ability, organisation and fluency of work, knowledge-based management of work ability, forces of change, the mental strain of work and physical strain on work. The map should be updated annually to help monitor the development of work ability risks.



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