Nearly a third (29 per cent) of pension professionals consider climate change to be the top priority for 2022, according to a survey of Society of Pensions Professionals (SPP) members.

Furthermore, almost a quarter (21 per cent) considered it to be a top priority over the next three to five years, while 25 per cent considered the broader development and embedding of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors to be most important in the longer term.

Climate change was not the only top priority for those surveyed, with 29 per cent wanting the government to focus on and successfully deliver pension dashboards over the next 12 months.

Nearly two-thirds (61 per cent) of respondents believed that dashboards would be the policymakers’ priority over the next three to five years.

Implementing the auto-enrolment review’s recommendations was also high on the agenda, with more than one in five members (21 per cent) highlighting it as their highest priority over the next 12 months.

Over two-fifths (43 per cent) of SPP members felt that improving DC member outcomes should be the top priority for the government and policymakers over the next three to five years.

Although 32 per cent of respondents wanted to see action on pension tax reform over the next three to five years, just 11 per cent believed policymakers would address the issue.

Commenting on the findings, SPP president, James Riley, said: “Climate change not only poses a grave threat to the planet, it also threatens the financial returns for pension funds.

“And at an industry level, it is clear from our survey that the roll out of the pensions dashboards is equally as important to pension professionals as addressing the climate crisis over the next year.

“Meanwhile, a host of other industry-defining issues, from auto-enrolment to pensions tax reform, remain high on the industry’s to-do list.

“The SPP remains committed to ensuring action on these priorities is delivered in the short and medium term in the interest of savers and investors.”

The survey was conducted in December 2021 and asked SPP members where they wanted government and regulators to focus attention over the next 12 months, and the next three-to-five years.

Members were also asked whether they expected the government and regulators to actually focus attention over those same periods.

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