The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is reporting $53 billion in low-carbon assets, including $15 billion in Quebec, representing an overall increase of $35 billion in low-carbon assets since 2017, according to the investment organization’s latest sustainable investing report.
It found the investment organization has more than $330 billion in assets with a low-carbon footprint, representing nearly 80 per cent of the total portfolio, and has reduced the carbon intensity of the portfolio by 59 per cent since 2017.
The Caisse also completed its exit from oil production and thermal coal mining and has invested $5 billion in transitional assets to decarbonize the highest-emitting sectors.
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In terms of social factors, more than half (57 per cent) of the Caisse’s actively managed public companies count at least 30 per cent women on their boards, an increase of more than 39 per cent in three years.
The pension fund also reported women currently represent 46 per cent of its workforce, toward a goal of 47 per cent by 2025. Additionally, 26 per cent of the Caisse’s Quebec-based employees identify as a member of a visible or ethnic minority or as Indigenous.
“Today’s challenges are tremendous levers for value creation,” said Marc‑André Blanchard, executive vice-president and global head of sustainability at the Caisse, in a press release. “This is why we have an optimistic approach, both here in Quebec and internationally. We support our portfolio companies on a day-to-day basis to ensure that they implement solid transition plans and view this journey as a promising business opportunity. We believe that this is the path that leads to achieving our common goals.”
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