At the end of a busy summer marked by unprecedented pressures from equity volatility and inflation, defined benefit plan sponsors, money managers and other investment professionals gathered at the Fairmont Tremblant in Mont-Tremblant, Que. for the relaunch of the Canadian Investment Review’s Alternative Investment Conference. From Aug. 20-22, the packed agenda presented a range of […]
While voluntary carbon markets are a bit like the Wild West, carbon removals actually pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and sequester it, according to Aaron White, executive director and head of sustainable investing at CIBC Global Asset Management. “This is where we anticipate the biggest growth to take place within this industry,” he said during […]
While the British Columbia Investment Management Corp. supports the goal of net zero by 2050, that doesn’t translate to a hard target for its portfolio, according to Jennifer Coulson (pictured left), the organization’s senior managing director and global head of environmental, social and governance. Speaking in a panel session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2025 […]
Canadian asset owners representing about $53 billion in holdings say they’re disappointed that Canada’s financial institutions have left net-zero emissions initiatives and are calling for them to follow through on climate commitments. The 34 signatories to an open letter include the Trottier Family Foundation, the Canada Post Pension Plan, United Church of Canada and the […]
Although news of BlackRock Inc.’s departure from the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero may call into question the future of the climate action initiative, the road to net zero is still a priority for many financial institutions, says Sebastien Betermier, associate professor of finance at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management. The alliance, which […]
The United Nations’ Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance is reporting that 81 of its institutional investor members, representing combined assets under management of US$9.4 trillion, have set intermediate decarbonization targets. In its fourth progress report, the institutional investor association also reported reductions in absolute financed emissions of, on average, at least six per cent annually. The […]
Climate risk and energy transition present huge investment opportunities for pension plan sponsors seeking to invest for the long term, said Bertrand Millot, head of sustainability at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, speaking during a panel session at an event hosted by the United Nations’ principles for responsible investment in Toronto earlier […]
Sustainable investing needs to take a much more nuanced approach today than it did in the past, according to Edward Vaughan Dixon, head of sustainability and private markets at Aviva Investors, during the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Risk Management Conference. Environmental, social and governance strategies should result in a holistic view of the risks behind a […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is acquiring a 25 per cent stake in U.K.-based First Hydro Co. alongside Brookfield Asset Management and its renewables affiliate. While the financial details of the transaction weren’t disclosed, the deal is expected to close by the end of the year, according to a press release. Global […]
The United Nations’ Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance — an association of financial organizations that includes the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec — is incorporating intermediary environmental targets as it continues its push to net-zero emissions by 2050. In addition to the new environmental reporting targets for asset owners, the association’s guidance now includes […]