DEI investing – Benefits Canada.com

Majority of Canadian institutional investors consider climate change a top ESG focus: survey

lbailey — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:00:49 +0000

A majority (98 per cent) of Canadian institutional investors consider climate change a top environmental, social and governance focus area, according to a new survey by consultancy Millani. The survey, which polled 40 institutional investors with more than $5.8 trillion in assets under management, found they also ranked diversity, equity and inclusion (45 per cent) and […]

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Survey finds North American institutional investors lagging behind on adopting ESG investment strategies

Jennifer Paterson — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 14:00:08 +0000

Institutional investors in Asia and Europe are at the forefront of adopting environmental, social and governance investment strategies, while North America lags behind, according to a survey by Coalition Greenwich. Globally, the survey found 75 per cent of investors incorporate ESG strategies, with Europe leading at 92 per cent followed by Asia at 76 per […]

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How DC plan sponsors can prevent a Muslim pension gap

lbailey — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 13:00:35 +0000

With the Muslim population steadily growing in Canada, employers that offer defined contribution pension plans can avoid unintentionally creating a pension gap by providing these members with access to retirement savings solutions that align with their faith. Under Shariah law, Muslims can’t hold investments that would bring social or environmental harm, such as shares in […]

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Pension investment organizations backing consolidated sustainability standards in joint statement

Gideon Scanlon — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 16:30:59 +0000

The leaders of 11 of Canada’s largest public sector pension investment organizations are calling on companies to adopt a new framework that would consolidate existing disclosure standards, including those from the sustainability accounting standards board and the task force on climate-related financial disclosures. The framework, which was set out by the International Sustainability Standards Board, […]

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2023 GIC coverage: How proxy voting can help institutional investors effectively steward capital

lbailey — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 11:44:08 +0000

Proxy voting is playing a bigger role in institutional investors’ environmental, social and governance strategies, according to Christie Stephenson, executive director of the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, speaking during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2023 Global Investment Conference. Long viewed as a value […]

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Six pension plan members share their perspectives on ESG investing

lbailey — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:55:43 +0000

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 […]

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Demand for international pension, savings plans on the rise: survey

Jennifer Paterson — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 14:00:16 +0000

Demand for international pensions and savings vehicles is continuing to grow as employers try to optimize their benefits packages for different groups within their global workforce, according to a new survey by WTW. Its 15th annual international pension plan survey, which covered more than 1,000 international pension and savings plans sponsored by 955 organizations, found […]

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Ontario Teachers’ focusing on board diversity in proxy voting guidelines

lbailey — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 14:00:39 +0000

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is setting higher expectations for increased participation of women in board roles at large-cap companies in 2023. The pension fund’s proxy voting guidelines advocate for large-cap companies on developed market indices to increase the number of women directors on their boards to a minimum of 40 per cent, up from […]

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Canadian responsible investments holding steady at $3 trillion AUM: survey

lbailey — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 14:00:46 +0000

Canadian investment managers had $3 trillion in assets using responsible investment strategies as of Dec. 31, 2021, down slightly from the $3.2 trillion reported in 2019, according to a survey by the Responsible Investment Association. The survey, which polled 77 asset managers and 13 asset owners, found more than nine in 10 (94 per cent) respondents are […]

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