As world markets contend with supply chain issues stemming from climate change, the coronavirus pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, environmental, social and governance considerations are slowly taking a more prominent role in pension funds’ risk assessments. In particular, Canadian pension funds are taking a progressive approach to ESG investing. Many have become signatories of […]
When Richard Manley, chief sustainability officer at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, joined the organization as managing director and head of sustainable investing in 2019, global financial markets were slowly dialling up the focus and integration of environmental, social and governance factors into investment strategies. Over the last three years — amid the ongoing […]
The Investment Management Corp. of Ontario is reporting that the weighted average net return of its clients’ portfolios was negative 8.1 per cent for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, which narrowly beat its consolidated benchmark return of negative 8.4 per cent. Over the three years since assets have been managed according to the IMCO’s strategies, the annualized return […]
Institutional investors are steadily integrating environmental, social and governance into their investment reporting and practices, according to a new report by the United Nations’ principles for responsible investment. The report, which analyzed data from more than 1,800 investment organizations that have signed the PRI, found nearly all have formal, senior-level oversight and accountability for responsible […]
An article on how working mothers are struggling with work-life balance was the most-read story on BenefitsCanada.com over the last week. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Majority of Canadian working moms struggling with work-life balance: survey 2. CPPIB jointly acquiring cloud-based software company, OMERS subsidiary entering debt financing agreements 3. How employers […]
The answer is complicated because environmental, social and governance investing is a relatively new risk, not all ESG factors are material for every industry and the return profile ultimately depends on whether a policy successfully incorporates material factors into investment decisions. Chris Reynolds, manager of pension policy at Canada Post Corp. ESG investing, often referred […]
Despite many institutional investors pressing pause on their real estate activities in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, those that keep calm and carry on with a focus on diversification and innovation are poised to emerge as winners. “Real estate values, like other investment vehicles, can vary at different times based on shifting demand […]
The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan is enhancing its climate change strategy to achieve net-zero emissions in its portfolio by 2050. By 2025, the HOOPP expects 80 per cent of its assets to provide reported emissions. It will also initiate a scope 3 portfolio emissions measurement and exclude new direct investments in private thermal coal […]
More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of Canadian workers say their employer’s focus on employee safety and well-being drives trust in the company’s brand, according to a new survey by Proof Strategies. The survey, which polled more than 1,500 employees, also found more than half of respondents said employers that are committed to diversity and […]
Amid the unprecedented events of the last three years, the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology pension plan has remained on course with its investment strategies, according to Asif Haque, the plan’s chief investment officer. “We held our focus on the key goal of the CAAT’s investment program. . . . The plan’s diversified asset […]