A new report is calling on Canada to develop a sustainable finance taxonomy in order for it to reach its carbon emissions targets. “Many countries have developed, or are in the process of developing, taxonomies as a foundational tool within a broader policy framework to help mobilize and accelerate the deployment of capital to combat […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec received the highest mark in a report card grading the climate strategies of the 11 largest public pension investment organizations in Canada. The Caisse’s strategy, which received a B+ from Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health, was praised for including provisions to divest its portfolio […]
Climate change presents an ongoing challenge to institutional investors’ allocations to domestic corporate bond, according to Soami Kohly, fixed income portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management, speaking during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Investment Innovation conference. “The way that we think about [environmental, social and governance issues] is that it’s just another […]
“As the preceding presentations showed quite clearly, the climate is changing and the impact won’t have a linear correlation with temperature rises,” said Aaron Bennett, chief investment officer of the University Pension Plan, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2022 Investment Innovation Conference. This once controversial position underpinned the $11-billion multi-employer defined benefit […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is revealing interim carbon reduction targets for 2030. The investment organization is planning to halve its $79 billion portfolio’s scope 1 and scope 2 emissions from 2019 levels by 2030. It’s also aiming for investments in climate solutions to account for 20 per cent of its assets by the […]
Canada’s defined benefit pension plans aren’t taking full advantage of regenerative agriculture practices, says Shidan Gouran, founder and chairman of Bluesphere Carbon, a New York-based carbon credit marketplace. “Agriculture is a good way of sequestering carbon, though it can be a very bad way, too. . . . Any pension fund that owns a lot […]
A popular method for tracking a business’ carbon footprint over time creates the illusion of increased efficiency during periods of high inflation, warns Sudhir Roc-Sennett, head of environmental, social and governance at Vontobel Asset Management Inc. “The most consistent way [of analyzing an organizations’ carbon footprint] is looking at tons-per-sales units, usually the tons of […]
While one expert says the two approaches work most effectively together, the other highlights the importance of complete divestment. Adam Scott, director at Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health: The common framing of engagement versus divestment is a false dichotomy. They aren’t mutually exclusive approaches — both are essential tools for pension managers, […]
To divest or not to divest — that was the question posed by Catherine Ann Marshall, principal consultant at RealAlts Inc, in a panel discussion during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Global Investment Conference in April. “When it comes to the climate transition, there’s these two basic approaches,” she said. “On one hand, we talk […]
Cadillac Fairview is adopting a series of sustainable investing goals to help its portfolio achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The real estate arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan announced it would achieve net-zero emissions in its $35-billion portfolio before 2050 in stages. During the first stage, it aims to reduce its portfolio’s carbon emissions […]