The majority of climate-themed equity funds offer only marginal benefits compared to the broader market, according to a new report by the London-based think tank InfluenceMap. The report scored climate-themed and environmental, social and governance-themed investment funds on the basis of how well-aligned portfolios are with the environmental commitments made by governments, including the Canadian […]
Board and executive-level efforts to integrate environmental, social and governance issues into pension plans’ investment strategies are frequently thwarted by unclear guidance from plan sponsors and uncertainty about fiduciary duties, according to a new working paper by the University of Pennsylvania. The paper concluded that efforts to implement ESG criteria in investment decision-making are frequently hamstrung […]
Michel Charron has had a front-row seat for the revolution in the Canadian investment industry’s approach to environmental, social and governance issues. Following the foundation of the United Nation’s principles for responsible investment in 2008, his firm, PBI Actuarial Consultants Inc., immediately signed up. But the concept required explanation for some pension plan sponsors, he […]
While the majority of Canadian pension and retirement savings plan sponsors view governance as a top priority, 24 per cent said they haven’t conducted a review of their governance policy in the past three years, according to a new survey by Aon. It found 21 per cent of respondents identified “outdated or inefficient plan governance […]
The newly minted University Pension Plan is tackling environmental, social and governance issues head on by partnering with the 30% Club, Canadian Coalition for Good Governance and Shareholder Association for Research and Education. Read: University Pension Plan launches multi-employer DB pension plan Joining the 30% Club will help the UPP make greater representation of women on […]
It’s a welcome development that so many pension fund managers are increasingly preoccupied with the ethical implications of their investments and incorporating data to ensure that funds adhere to the environmental, social and governance criteria. Described by Mirza Baig, global head of ESG research and stewardship at Aviva Investors, as the “year ESG came of age,” 2020 saw record sustainable […]
The percentage of global institutional investors implementing environmental, social and governance strategies continues to rise, reaching 72 per cent in 2020 according to a recent Natixis Investment Managers survey. That’s up from 64 per cent in 2019 and 61 per cent in 2018. Read: Expert panel: Investing in low-carbon economy will pay off for pension […]
The Caisse de dépot et placement du Québec is partnering with alternative investment manager Energize Ventures to promote digital innovation in the energy and sustainable industry sectors. The co-investment partnership will see the Caisse commit up to $125 million over the next three years to ventures targeted at digital technologies that will advance the sustainable […]
Environmental, social and governance factors are an important dimension of fundamental analysis, said Jenn-Hui Tan, global head of stewardship and sustainable investing at Fidelity International, when speaking at the Canadian Investment Review’s Investment Innovation Conference in November. Traditional fundamental analysis captures topics including financial performance, the pricing power of a company, its competitive advantages, the […]