The 2023 federal budget, which was announced on Tuesday, includes several initiatives related to defined benefit pension plans and the broader institutional investment sector. The government said it would entrust the administration of a new federal investment fund to the Public Sector Pension Investment Board. “By partnering with PSP Investments, the Canada Growth Fund will […]
The venture capital arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan anticipates that a slowing global economy, interest rate hikes and limited funding opportunities will drive private equity valuations down by as much as 10 per cent in 2023, according to a new report. “So far, 2023 looks set to be another challenging year: the global […]
Slightly more than a third (35 per cent) of U.S. institutional investors are incorporating environmental, social and governance factors into investment decisions, down from a high of 49 per cent in 2021, according to a new survey by investment consulting firm Callan. The survey, which polled more than 100 institutional investors, found 50 per cent […]
While one expert says the two approaches work most effectively together, the other highlights the importance of complete divestment. Adam Scott, director at Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health: The common framing of engagement versus divestment is a false dichotomy. They aren’t mutually exclusive approaches — both are essential tools for pension managers, […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is publishing its inaugural environmental, social and governance report, which includes an outline of its four-pronged ESG integration strategy. “We have long understood that companies with good governance practices and diverse teams make better decisions that lead to superior performance,” wrote Brian Gibson, board chair of the IMCO, in […]
Pension plan sponsors can’t ignore the financial risks of climate change or respond to them with half-baked approaches that allow companies to continue pumping out pollution. To be credible, comprehensive and complete, strategies protecting Canadians’ retirement savings from the unprecedented risks of the climate crisis must include several key elements. A Paris-aligned commitment The Paris Agreement […]
Cadillac Fairview is adopting a series of sustainable investing goals to help its portfolio achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The real estate arm of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan announced it would achieve net-zero emissions in its $35-billion portfolio before 2050 in stages. During the first stage, it aims to reduce its portfolio’s carbon emissions […]
Directors, trustees and investment managers at Canada’s largest public pension funds are deeply involved in the fossil fuel sector, according to a new report by Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health. It found 56 staff members from the largest public sector pension plans hold 76 different corporate director roles at 39 different fossil […]
The University of Toronto is the latest institution committing to the divestment movement, saying Wednesday it will sell off all fossil fuel investments in its $4 billion endowment fund by the end of 2030 to help fight climate change. The commitment by its investment manager, the University of Toronto Asset Management Corp., includes divesting from all direct investments […]
A number of Canadian institutional investors are urging corporations to begin addressing climate change risks and opportunities in order to receive their investment dollars. Some 36 institutional investors, including Bâtirente, the British Columbia Investment Management Corp., the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Investment Management Corp. of Ontario, the Ontario Pension Board and the […]