The Desjardins Group is going carbon neutral as part of several actions the company plans to address climate change. In a release, the company pointed to its aim of supporting the transition to cleaner energy as well as pushing for the businesses it invests in to adopt ideal environmental, social and governance practices. “As a financial co-operative, […]
Safe tobacco consumption not possible says CEO O'Reilly
The OPSEU Pension Trust is divesting from all equity and fixed-income investments in public companies that derive a majority of their revenue from the production or manufacture of tobacco products beginning in 2018. “At OPTrust, we prefer to use corporate engagement — the promotion of better business practices — in our investment and ownership practices,” said Hugh O’Reilly, […]
The Financial Services Commission of Ontario has clarified its guidance note on how environmental, social and governance factors should be incorporated into a plan sponsor’s statement of investment policies and procedures. In the previous version of the note, FSCO stated plan sponsors should include the information described in each of the three following paragraphs: Either a broad statement that it incorporates all ESG factors, […]
Challenges and opportunities in the Age of Trump
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is committing a $50-million loan to a group of solar energy systems set up by California-based Sunrun Inc. The loan is part of a $302-million senior secured credit facility closed by Sunrun on Oct. 20, 2017. The U.S. solar energy company handles the entire process from design to sale and installation […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is loaning $150 million to Innergex Renewable Energy Inc., a Quebec-based renewable energy company. Among Innergex’s ventures are hydroelectric power plants, wind and solar farms, which it owns and operates. The company also announced its acquisition of Alterra Power Corp., a Vancouver-based renewable power generation company that operates in North America and in […]
Two-thirds of institutional investors consider environmental, social and governance factors, according to a survey conducted by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. The survey, which questioned 434 institutional asset owners and investment consultants in Canada, the United States and Europe, found that of the two-thirds that do consider such factors, 25 per cent intend to boost their allocations to managers […]
A group of 30 Canadian and international pension funds and financial institutions have released a joint declaration that implores publicly traded companies in Canada to commit to disclose more information about their exposure to the risks of climate change and the measures undertaken to manage them. The 30 signatories — which include Bâtirente, the Caisse de dépôt et […]
Six of Canada’s largest pension funds have been ranked among the world’s most responsible institutional investors. The ranking, by the Bretton Woods II program at U.S. think tank New America, was developed in partnership with the Global Development Incubator and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. It analyzed 125 pension and sovereign […]