Seventy per cent of Canadians said they think it’s important to invest in companies with strong environmental, social and governance performance, according to a new study by Mackenzie Investments. While a majority of survey respondents said they believe socially responsible investing is important, just 31 per cent hold ethical investments. Among those who don’t, one-third said they […]
As pension plans are engaging more often as active shareholders, some companies are beginning to chafe. One instance of pushback came after the the New York State Common Retirement Fund co-sponsored a proposal with the Church of England’s endowment fund requesting that Exxon Mobil Corp. include short-, medium- and long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets aligned with […]
New Zealand government pension funds are calling on Facebook Inc., Alphabet Inc. and Twitter Inc. to reign in the proliferation of hate on their platforms in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attack in March. The New Zealand Super Fund, Government Superannuation Fund, National Provident Fund and Kiwi Wealth, as well as the country’s Accident Compensation Corp., […]
While the pension industry is interested in environmental, social and governance factors, that isn’t translating into action when it comes to incorporating ESG funds into defined contribution plans’ investment options, according to a new report by Cerulli Associates. The report found, ESG-oriented investment options aren’t becoming too popular in the U.S. for three key reasons: fee […]
Since publicly listed equities usually make up the largest portion of institutional investor portfolios, it’s critical they aren’t left out of impact investing, said Deirdre Cooper, portfolio manager for global environment at Investec Asset Management Ltd. With the energy transition away from carbon-intensive sources already underway, a massive amount of capital still needs to be deployed to fully address […]
From the end of 2015 to the end of 2017, impact investing in Canada has grown by 81 per cent, representing $14.75 billion, according to a new report by the Responsible Investment Association. “Like any pre-teen, impact investing currently sits on the edge of youthful maturity,” said Kelly Gauthier, RIA board member and managing director of impact advisory at […]
Though the term ‘corporate social responsibility’ varies across companies and countries, it’s generally considered to be a form of organizational self-regulation focusing on an employer’s approach to sustainability across a variety of topics, such as environmental efforts, human rights, corporate governance, health and safety and economic development. Unilever’s sustainable living plan sets out ambitious targets […]
If institutional investors are looking to divest completely from an industry, tobacco would be ripe to pluck out of their portfolio, according to a new report by Genus Capital Management Inc. The report found that divesting entirely from tobacco wouldn’t have had a significant negative impact on returns over the past 20 years. “Though individual investors may […]
While there aren’t consistent definitions around the inclusion of environmental, social and governance issues in investing, factoring them into the investment process is now mainstream, which is increasing the demand for ESG data, according to a report by capital markets consultancy firm Opimas. Institutional investors, such as pension funds, insurers and asset managers, have been at the forefront of that […]
The vast majority (91 per cent) of Canadian institutional investors have adjusted their voting and engagement policies to focus more on environmental, social and governance risks, according to a report by marketing agency Edelman. The report, which surveyed 500 Canadian institutional investors, found 65 per cent have made policy adjustments within the past year. As well, […]