The Pension Research Council
Working Paper

Risk Budgeting for the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board

Sterling Gunn and Tracy Livingstone
WP2009-23

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Abstract —

This chapter recounts the experience of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in designing and implementing its Risk-Return Accountability Framework and risk budgeting. The implementation of a classic risk budgeting framework was a seamless integration with existing processes in the investment group investing in publicly traded liquid assets, but proved to be problematic in investment groups investing in illiquid assets. Firm risk targets were established for publicly traded investments, but the team developing the risk budgeting program developed risk forecasts to better fit the business model of private investments and real estate.