More than half of Dutch schemes lack sustainability targets
The lobbying organisation urged pension funds to speed up the expansion of their responsible investments, and to focus in particular on tackling climate change.The top performer in VBDO’s rankings was again healthcare scheme PFZW, with civil service pension fund ABP trailing closely. PFZW has come top of the rankings for 11 years in a row.The industry-wide schemes for the agricultural sector (BPL Pensioen), the building industry (BpfBouw) and housing corporations (SPW) were also among the best performers.In contrast, the three large KLM schemes, the pension fund for pharmacy staff (PMA) and the pension fund of steelworks Hoogovens ended up at the lowest end of the scale.In its latest report, the VBDO replaced its ranking system with a star rating, at the request of the pensions sector.“According to the pension funds, the traditional ranking system triggered too much competition, while, in their opinion, the sector would better be served with co-operation,” explained Rudy Verstappen, one of the authors of the VBDO report.The VBDO assessed pension funds for governance, policy, their accounting for sustainable investment as well as implementation, with a focus on the latter.Angélique Laskewitz, VBDO’s director, said that nine pension funds have joined the association. Until recently, its membership chiefly comprised asset managers, insurers and banks. Sustainable investment is still not seen as an obligation by many Dutch pension funds, according to the Netherlands’ Association for Investors in Sustainable Development (VBDO).In the 11th edition of its annual benchmarking report, it highlighted that, despite a continuing increase of pension funds factoring in environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into their investment policies, 56% of the surveyed 50 largest schemes still hadn’t set sustainability targets.It found that the ESG performance had primarily improved at the mid-section of the monitored pension funds, with the best- and weakest-performing schemes hardly making progress in 2016.However, the VBDO reported improvements on transparency, while noting that large differences remained on quality and depth of sustainability reporting.
Whilst Evans will be getting his hands on a third Premier League title medal when the trophy is handed out against Swansea, others will be experiencing the euphoria for the first time. In addition to Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck, David de Gea, Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley and Shinji Kagawa have also never won a league crown for the Red Devils before. Evans thinks the memories of Monday night’s win over Aston Villa will fuel a desire for more success, ensuring Sir Alex Ferguson’s men will remain contenders for major prizes well into the future. Asked if United have a great future, Evans told manutd.com: “Definitely.” Jonny Evans can see a bright future ahead for Manchester United. He added: “We’ve got a lot of experience and players who are maturing at the right time. I can honestly say that we all come into training every day with a smile on our faces. The first title just makes you more hungry. You experience that feeling and you don’t want anyone else to have it. “You develop a selfishness and a determination to experience that feeling again and again. It’s a great motivation for everyone.” That deep-seated desire, which Ferguson is responsible for establishing in the first place, helped make United an irresistible force this season. Certainly they had too much in every department for a Manchester City outfit who failed to uphold their title defence in the depths of mid-winter when the going got tough, and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, who hardly got going at all. “What happened last season has been in the back of our minds and perhaps subconsciously it gave us an extra motivation,” said Evans of City’s famous last-day title triumph. “But we’re always determined to succeed here no matter what. “You have to look forward. That’s one of the great things about the manager – he is looking forward regardless of whether we win or lose the league.” Meanwhile, United are to celebrate their title triumph with an open-top bus parade through the city. The club said on their official website they will be going through Manchester on Monday, May 13, starting at Old Trafford and ending in the city centre. 
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Kelsey Fenton / The Badger HeraldAfter a 6-1 win against Nebraska this Sunday, the Wisconsin men’s tennis team clinched the No. 8 seed in the Big Ten Tournament that is set to get underway this weekend. The Badgers finished the Big Ten regular season with a record of 4-7 in conference. In addition, the team won three of its last four Big Ten match ups, putting them in prime position to make a postseason run.The Badgers traveled to Columbus Wednesday in preparation for their first match at 8 a.m. Central Time on Thursday. Wisconsin will play Purdue, the No. 9 seed, for the chance to challenge the Big Ten’s reigning champions, and No. 1 seeded, Ohio State.Two weeks ago the Boilermakers paid a visit to Wisconsin’s Nielsen Tennis Center and fell to the Badgers 4-3. Purdue started out strong taking two doubles wins and clinching the doubles point. In singles, the Boilermakers grabbed two quick victories at the one and six positions. With the backs against a wall the Badgers pulled out four wins, including three with a set decided by a tiebreak. This win broke Wisconsin’s six-match Big Ten losing streak. “Purdue is a good team,” head coach Greg Van Emburgh said. “Obviously, they will be seeking some revenge, so we will have to be ready right from the start at 9 o’clock [8 a.m. CDT]. We cannot take anything for granted; we know that the margin of error is going to be small. We have to bring our A game.”Despite knowing it will be a close match, the players have a lot of confidence going into the game. The team has been playing its best tennis as of late, and its play has only improved since the 4-3 win against Purdue.“It gives me more confidence going into the game,” freshman Jakhongir Jalalov said. “I know we have already beaten them once. Now we can put pressure on them to beat us because we already know we have the ability to win.”Beating Purdue will still be no easy task as the squad has three wins against ranked opponents this year. Also the Boilermakers are an upperclassman heavy team, providing much needed experience in the Big Ten tournament the young Badgers lack; however, what the Badgers lack in experience, they make up for in confidence.“All we have to do is stay confident, stay positive and believe in ourselves and we can beat Purdue,” freshman Oskar Wikberg said.If Wisconsin’s confidence does pull through and help clinch a victory, the Badgers still have a long road before they can make it to the championship game. The biggest of all these challenges will be their second round match-up against Ohio State.“Right now in our conference, the only team that is really ahead and above everyone else is Ohio State,” Van Emburgh said. “They haven’t lost a match this year in the conference. I think they have only one in the last eight to ten years. They are clearly a very strong team.”The Buckeyes have won six of the last seven Big Ten men’s tennis titles, and are the clear favorite to pick up their seventh in eight years. Ohio State went 11-0 in conference play this year and have only two losses all year, both 4-3 losses to Virginia and Texas A&M.All three of the Buckeye’s doubles duos are ranked in the top 75 in the country. They also boast five ranked singles players out of six, including Peter Kobelt, who is ranked ninth in the country. If the Badgers do get past Purdue, they have the tennis equivalent of a stone wall in front of them.“This will be our best opportunity to beat Ohio State,” Van Emburgh said. “We have really be playing well as of late, and as long as we play confident, loose and aggressive, I think we will be able to stick with them.”After last weekend’s victories the Badgers moved up the rankings to 59th in the nation. This puts them right at the cusp of making the NCAA tournament. A Big Ten tournament run could propel the Badgers into a tournament where anything can happen.
Week 14 Rankings:Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | KickerThis week, there are a handful of players who should draw more consideration than normal at the FLEX position. Notably, Courtland Sutton has moved into starter territory following the season-ending injury to his teammate Sanders. Sutton should do well in a great matchup against the 49ers. Other intriguing plays include D.J. Moore (@ Browns), Chris Godwin (vs. Saints), and Jeff Wilson Jr. (vs. Broncos).Reminder: For more analysis for individual players, check out our standard running back, wide receiver, and tight end rankings. The fantasy football playoffs are here, and plenty of fantasy owners are facing critical start ’em, sit ’em decisions in Round 1 matchups. Our Week 14 fantasy FLEX rankings are as tight as ever — in a good way. There are plenty of solid options this week, with sleepers emerging because of injuries and favorable matchups. It won’t be easy to sort through exactly who to start, especially with guys like A.J. Green, Emmanuel Sanders, Matt Breida, and James Conner out, but we’re here to help.Per usual, you can’t sit any of your studs, and the borderline matchup-proof plays will occupy the top of this list. There will be a handful of second-tier guys with excellent matchups sprinkled in, but generally speaking, you will see a lot of the same names near the top of the list each week. The real intrigue comes in the 50-75 range, as most fantasy teams will be considering a starting a couple of players in that group. WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight endWeek 14 Fantasy Football Rankings: FLEXThese rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues1Christian McCaffrey, RB, Panthers @ Browns2Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints @ Buccaneers3Antonio Brown, WR, Steelers @ Raiders4Phillip Lindsay, RB, Broncos @ 49ers5Davante Adams, WR, Packers vs. Falcons6Aaron Jones, RB, Packers vs. Falcons7Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys vs. Eagles8Keenan Allen, WR, Chargers vs. Bengals9Michael Thomas, WR, Saints @ Buccaneers10Mike Evans, WR, Buccaneers vs. Saints
MORE WEEK 14: Rankings | DFS11Julio Jones, WR, Falcons @ Packers12Saquon Barkley, RB, Giants @ Redskins13Amari Cooper, WR, Cowboys vs. Eagles14DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans vs. Colts15Todd Gurley, RB, Rams @ Bears16David Johnson, RB, Cardinals vs. Lions17Adam Thielen, WR, Vikings @ Seahawks18Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens @ Chiefs19JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR, Steelers @ Raiders20Joe Mixon, RB, Bengals @ Chargers21Nick Chubb, RB, Browns vs. Panthers22Tyreek Hill, WR, Chiefs vs. Ravens23George Kittle, TE, 49ers vs. Broncos24Brandin Cooks, WR, Rams @ Bears25Tyler Boyd, WR, Bengals @ Chargers26Leonard Fournette, RB, Jaguars @ Titans27Adrian Peterson, RB, Redskins vs. Giants28Kenny Golladay, WR, Lions @ Cardinals29Tarik Cohen, RB, Bears vs. Rams30Austin Ekeler, RB, Chargers vs. Bengals31Allen Robinson, WR, Bears vs. Rams32T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts @ Texans33Travis Kelce, TE, Chiefs vs. Ravens34Robert Woods, WR, Rams @ Bears35Courtland Sutton, WR, Broncos @ 49ers36Lamar Miller, RB, Texans vs. Colts37Sony Michel, RB, Patriots @ Dolphins38LeGarrette Blount, RB, Lions @ Cardinals39Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals vs. Lions41Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks vs. Vikings42Alshon Jeffery, WR, Eagles @ Cowboys43Josh Gordon, WR, Patriots @ Dolphins44Spencer Ware, RB, Chiefs vs. Ravens45Mark Ingram, RB, Saints @ Buccaneers46Eric Ebron, TE, Colts @ Texans47David Njoku, TE, Browns vs. Panthers48James White, RB, Patriots @ Dolphins49Jarvis Landry, WR, Browns vs. Panthers50LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills vs. Jets51D.J. Moore, WR, Panthers @ Browns52Julian Edelman, WR, Patriots @ Dolphins53Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots @ Dolphins54Jaylen Samuels, RB, Steelers @ Raiders55Stefon Diggs, WR, Vikings @ Seahawks56Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers vs. Saints57Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles @ Cowboys58Jared Cook, TE, Raiders vs. Steelers59Corey Davis, WR, Titans vs. Jaguars60Isaiah Crowell, RB, Jets @ Bills61Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings @ Seahawks62Calvin Ridley, WR, Falcons @ Packers63Adam Humphries, WR, Buccaneers vs. Saints65Tre’Quan Smith, WR, Saints @ Buccaneers66Marlon Mack, RB, Colts @ Texans67Justin Jackson, RB, Chargers vs. Bengals68Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants @ Redskins69DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins vs. Patriots70Golden Tate, WR, Eagles @ Cowboys71Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins vs. Giants72Doug Martin, RB, Raiders vs. Steelers73Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, 49ers vs. Broncos74Michael Crabtree, WR, Ravens @ Chiefs75Demaryius Thomas, WR, Texans vs. Colts76John Brown, WR, Ravens @ Chiefs77Chris Conley, WR, Chiefs vs. Ravens.78Doug Baldwin, WR, Seahawks vs. Vikings79Vance McDonald, TE, Steelers @ Raiders80Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons @ Packers81Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks vs. Vikings82Josh Adams, RB, Eagles @ Cowboys83John Ross, WR, Bengals @ Chargers84Peyton Barber, RB, Buccaneers vs. Saints85Jimmy Graham, TE, Packers vs. Falcons86Tyrell Williams, WR, Chargers vs. Bengals87Mike Williams, WR, Chargers vs. Bengals88Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Packers vs. Falcons89Kenyan Drake, RB, Dolphins vs. Patriots90Jordan Howard, RB, Bears vs. Rams91Willie Snead, WR, Ravens @ Chiefs92Zay Jones, WR, Bills vs. Jets93Devin Funchess, WR, Panthers @ Browns94Dion Lewis, RB, Titans vs. Jaguars95Jamison Crowder, WR, Redskins vs. Giants96Curtis Samuel, WR, Panthers @ Browns97Josh Doctson, WR, Redskins vs. Giants98Duke Johnson Jr., RB, Browns vs. Panthers99Chris Thompson, RB, Redskins vs. Giants100Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers vs. Bengals101Bruce Ellington, WR, Lions @ Cardinals102Josh Reynolds, WR, Rams @ Bears103Elijah McGuire, RB, Jets @ Bills104Royce Freeman, RB, Broncos @ 49ers105Cameron Brate, TE, Buccaneers vs. Saints106Frank Gore, RB, Dolphins vs. Patriots107Taylor Gabriel, WR, Bears vs. Rams108Donte Moncrief, WR, Jaguars @ Titans109Jalen Richard, RB, Raiders vs. Steelers110Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys vs. Eagles111Dede Westbrook, WR, Jaguars @ Titans112Stevan Ridley, RB, Steelers @ Raiders113Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings @ Seahawks114Antonio Callaway, WR, Browns vs. Panthers115Jonnu Smith, TE, Titans vs. Jaguars116Theo Riddick, RB, Lions @ Cardinals117Dante Pettis, WR, 49ers vs. Broncos118Derrick Henry, RB, Titans vs. Jaguars119Sterling Shepard, Giants @ Redskins120Trey Burton, TE, Bears vs. Rams