Nine Canadian public sector pension plans are passively invested in companies with evidenced involvement in the persecution of Uyghurs in China, according to a new report by U.K. think tank Hong Kong Watch. The report includes three federal and six provincial pension investment organizations — among more than 30 global institutional investors — as passive investors […]
QuadReal Property Group, the real estate investment arm of the British Columbia Investment Management Corp., is unveiling an updated strategic pathway to decarbonize its portfolio by 2050. “Sustainability has always been a key component of QuadReal’s investment and management strategies and is becoming more and more of a precondition for the long-term financial feasibility of […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is financing part of a renewable energy project in Japan. The investment organization is investing about $90 million in a green bond released by Vena Energy Ltd. The green bond’s proceeds will be used to finance a solar power project on Honshu, Japan’s largest and most populous […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan’s subsidiary HOOPP Realty Inc. is selling a portfolio of industrial properties to a real estate investment trust. Under the terms of the deal, Skyline Industrial REIT1 will take ownership of four business parks located in the suburbs of Calgary and Edmonton for $309.25 million. The portfolio, which is more […]
An analysis of submissions made to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reveals a sharp divide between the opinions of institutional investors and corporate executives when it comes to a proposal to standardize corporate climate disclosures. “Comments from different parties did not always fall along corporates versus investors, though some did,” wrote Subodh Mishra, global […]
An Ontario Superior Court judge awarding $210,000 in costs against the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Ontario court awards $210K in costs against FSRA in Brewers Retail pension case 2. Transition to low carbon economy […]
The British Columbia Investment Management Corp. is appointing Michel Drolet as senior vice-president of corporate risk and chief audit executive. In the role, he’ll lead the investment organization’s new corporate risk and audit department, which is mandated to improve risk awareness, responsiveness and decision-making. To preserve the independence of the internal audit function, Drolet will […]
At the Alberta Investment Management Corp., diversity, equity and inclusion has catapulted up the priority list when it comes to investment strategy. While DEI has long played a role in the decisions of the AIMCo and other institutional investors, says Alison Schneider, the organization’s vice-president of responsible investing, she credits the coronavirus pandemic for catalyzing […]
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 […]
Several of Canada’s largest pension funds have backed a proposal requesting that Amazon.com Inc. review how its actions against ongoing union organizing efforts align with its stated commitment to freedom of association and collective bargaining. The proposal by the Shareholder Association for Research and Education and the Catherine Donnelly Foundation was supported by the Alberta […]