Considering women account for just over half of the population, Andrew MacDougall understands why — taken in isolation — the state of female representation at the top level of Canada’s public companies can seem a little underwhelming. According to the most recent round of disclosures, around 34 per cent of seats on the boards of […]
New York City comptroller Brad Lander and three of the city’s pension funds are offering shareholder proposals calling on several banks — including the Royal Bank of Canada — to disclose absolute greenhouse gas emissions targets for 2030. The shareholder proposals, which request a report within one year, call for an absolute reduction target aligned […]
The Pension Investment Association of Canada is urging the Canadian Securities Administrators to work closely with its international counterparts to ensure consistency in regulations on climate-related disclosure. In an open letter to the Ontario Securities Commission, the PIAC called on the CSA to align its climate regulations with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and […]
As the University Pension Plan increases its focus on climate change, its responsible investment policy considers environmental, social and governance factors as essential to sound long-term investing. “We’ve seen a lot of evidence from a variety of service providers — from investment banks to investment managers — that have demonstrated [the climate] is getting warmer […]
An article on the strike by Ontario education workers was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. CUPE’s Ontario education workers striking for extended benefits, wage increases 2. Stellantis, Unifor agreement includes pension and retirement gains 3. Sounding Board: How employers can better support employees […]
The Canadian Institute of Actuaries is advising the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities to strengthen its proposed guideline on risks related to environmental, social and governance factors, including consideration for pension plan liabilities and climate-related disclosure. In an open letter to the CAPSA, the CIA suggested including a section on how ESG factors should […]
By requiring employers to have a written policy on the electronic monitoring of their employees, the Ontario government is aiming to increase employer transparency, says Andy Pushalik, partner and head of the employment and labour group at Dentons Canada LLP. “With so many employees now working from home, [the government] felt there was a requirement that […]
The U.K. government is proposing new rules requiring defined benefit pension plan sponsors to provide regulators with a summary of their investment strategies. Under the proposed rules, which were announced by the Department of Pensions and Welfare, DB plans would have to submit long-term funding and investment strategies to the U.K.’s pension regulator. The rules would […]
The potential impact of a disorderly transition to a low carbon economy is a top factor driving financial market regulators to accelerate and focus their efforts on climate-related risks, said Tamara DeMos, chair of the Canadian Association of Pension Supervisory Authorities’ environmental, social and governance committee and managing director of private pensions. Speaking during the […]
At the Alberta Investment Management Corp., diversity, equity and inclusion has catapulted up the priority list when it comes to investment strategy. While DEI has long played a role in the decisions of the AIMCo and other institutional investors, says Alison Schneider, the organization’s vice-president of responsible investing, she credits the coronavirus pandemic for catalyzing […]