The Concordia University Foundation has announced the creation of a sustainable investment fund.
Save your money, save the world? Pension funds, we are told, can be a force for social good, from promoting sustainable environmental practices, to punishing companies that cooperate with oppressive regimes, to improving the quality of corporate governance itself.
Recently, the news has been dominated by stories of National Football League (NFL) players being arrested for assault, domestic violence and a series of other charges. The NFL is a private organization, functioning as a co-operative for the owners of the various teams. Its response to these issues with its “product” has been mixed and, by some people’s estimation, has not really addressed a systemic problem. But what if the NFL was a publicly traded company (the league as a corporation and the teams as divisions or wholly owned subsidiaries)? How would you expect your investment manager to evaluate the business model, corporate policies and governance practices? Would you want your manager invested in NFL securities?
From a slave trade response to thematic investing, SRI has come a long way.
The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), S&P Dow Jones Indexes and RobecoSAM have launched the S&P/TSX 60 ESG (environment, social and governance) index.
BMO Global Asset Management has become a signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment Initiative.
Reporting proces to be implemented globally by end of 2012.
ESG investing—which considers environmental, social and/or governance issues in addition to financial performance—has reached a crossroads in recent years. What began as an investment approach predominantly oriented around social impacts has expanded to include a range of environmental and governance issues and is now attracting attention from mainstream investors primarily concerned with the associated financial […]
Canadian securities regulators expect improved environmental disclosure from the country’s reporting issuers and have released a guidance document towards meeting that goal. “Issuers are increasingly recognizing the current and potential effects on their performance and operations, both positive and negative, that are associated with environmental matters,” states the document, which was released Wednesday by the […]
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing is the way of the future, according to a report by State Street Corporation. The report, Sustainable Investing: Positioning for Long-Term Success, states that issues such as world population growth and climate change are transforming sustainability into “a material issue for companies and investors alike.” Investors are advised to […]