Canadian investment managers had $2.1 trillion in assets using responsible investment strategies as of Dec. 31, 2017, a major jump from $1.5 trillion at the end of 2015, according to a new survey by the Responsible Investment Association. Indeed, responsible investing accounts for more than half (51 per cent) of Canadian assets under management, noted the survey. “Surpassing […]
Canadian institutional investors with stakes in fossil fuel companies can be held as much accountable for continued and escalating carbon emissions as the producer organizations, according to a report by the Centre for Policy Alternatives. While widely held Canadian fossil fuel companies aren’t controlled by a single institutional investor, they do own large chunks of equity, the report found. […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is emphasizing the issue of gender composition on investee companies’ boards in its latest sustainable investing report. With this fifth area of focus joining climate change, water, human rights and executive compensation, the CPPIB is aiming to address the issues of gender diversity in relation to long-term investment. In 2017, the pension fund voted on measures at 45 […]
It was a bumpy ride for commodity prices between 2014 and 2016, a result of their close correlation to the state of the global economy. In particular, 2015 saw a major downward trend in many of the more frequently traded commodities, such as corn, gold, lead, silver, soy and wheat, with iron ore, natural gas […]
At 89 per cent, continental Europe has the most asset managers that are signatories of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment, according to a new survey by Russell Investments. While the majority of managers surveyed are UNPRI signatories, participation varies significantly by region. Asia, excluding Japan, has no signatories, while 70 per cent of Japanese asset managers are signatories. […]
A group of U.S. institutional investors is petitioning the Securities and Exchange Commission to impose an obligation on companies to report on certain prescribed environmental, social and governance issues. “In response to changing business norms and pressure from investors, most of America’s largest public companies are attempting to provide additional information to meet these changing […]
A growing number of institutional investors believe integrating environmental, social and governance factors into their portfolios can help generate alpha, according to a new survey by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. This represents a major jump, from 24 per cent in last year’s survey to 38 per cent this year. On the other hand, 20 per […]
While more than half (53 per cent) of investment managers believe the business case for developing a diverse workforce is either strong or very strong, many institutional investors have a difficult time achieving that goal, according to a new report by the CFA Institute. “The hardest part of my job is building a diverse workforce,” said an unidentified […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has signed an agreement promising to divest from the tobacco industry as part of a wider pledge supported by multiple global government and health organizations. “Given the reputational, social and commercial headwinds facing the tobacco industry today, we are no longer confident that it represents an attractive investment opportunity for a […]
Both institutional investors and the companies they take stakes in must innovate to take meaningful action on climate change, says Hugh O’Reilly, president and chief executive officer of the OPSEU Pension Trust. “We have to accept that as an investor community, we haven’t done nearly enough,” says O’Reilly. “In light of that, from a certain perspective, […]