One year into a five-year plan to reduce its investments in greenhouse gas-emitting companies by 50 per cent, the Bâtirente is on pace to reach its target. Last year, the defined contribution pension fund announced a number of environmental commitments it intended to reach by 2025, including a pledge to reduce its exposure to climate-related […]
The University of Toronto is the latest institution committing to the divestment movement, saying Wednesday it will sell off all fossil fuel investments in its $4 billion endowment fund by the end of 2030 to help fight climate change. The commitment by its investment manager, the University of Toronto Asset Management Corp., includes divesting from all direct investments […]
Our story revealing the employers that took the top spots at the 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards was the most-read story over the past week on BenefitsCanada.com. Here are the five most popular news stories of the week: 1. Who are the winners of the 2021 Workplace Benefits Awards? 2. ‘Significant’ wave of terminations coming due to workplace vaccine mandates: lawyer […]
While 72 per cent of institutional investors are currently integrating environmental, social and governance factors into their investment strategies, 29 per cent are placing greater emphasis on ESG considerations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey by RBC Global Asset Management. The survey, which polled 800 global institutional investors, found […]
The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec is planning to completely divest from oil production — roughly one per cent of its total portfolio or about $3.9 billion based on the size of its net assets as of June 30 — by the end of 2022, as part of its new climate change strategy. […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is setting new targets to accompany its plan to tackle climate change and curb greenhouse gas emissions tied to its multi-billion dollar portfolio. The pension fund said it aims to slash the carbon emissions intensity of its investments by 45 per cent by 2025 and by two-thirds by 2030, compared to its […]
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has reached a deal to sell half of its shares of a Washington-based energy company to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. According to the terms of the deal, the CPPIB will sell half of its 31.6 per cent stake in Puget Holdings to the Ontario Teachers’ and the other […]
It’s a welcome development that so many pension fund managers are increasingly preoccupied with the ethical implications of their investments and incorporating data to ensure that funds adhere to the environmental, social and governance criteria. Described by Mirza Baig, global head of ESG research and stewardship at Aviva Investors, as the “year ESG came of age,” 2020 saw record sustainable […]
Canada’s pension plan sponsors have a fiduciary responsibility to consider climate change in their financial decisions, according to Randy Bauslaugh, counsel for pensions and benefits and executive compensation at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, during a webinar hosted by the Canada Climate Law Initiative and the Canadian Pension & Benefits Institute. “The failure of plan administrators and […]
Demand for defined benefit pension plan sponsors to focus on environmental, social and governance factors through their investments is growing. Both plan sponsors and members have been increasingly vocal about keeping ESG issues top of mind. For example, the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan has worked on balancing this increased appetite for ethical investing with […]