It was a sign on a beach in north-east England advising against eating the shellfish due to pollution that first alerted a teenage Mike Taylor to environmental issues. Now with a large pension fund to run, he is keen to put his principles into practice by investing responsibly, taking account of environmental, social and governance issues.

This is not a just a personal crusade, however. As chief executive of the London Pensions Fund Authority, he is answerable to a board appointed by Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, and in pushing the responsible investment agenda he says he will be trying to “codify the beliefs of the board”.