Institutional investors face several challenges in proving the value of sustainable investments, said Arijit Banik, treasurer at York University, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum in June. It’s difficult to measure the impact of an investment, even the cleanest ones, with the current measurement framework available to […]
Greenhushing — the withholding of sustainability milestones and other environmental investment goals by institutional investors and investee companies — is a trend that could already be on the way out, says Mary Jane McQuillen, head of environmental, social and governance investing at ClearBridge Investments, a subsidiary of Franklin Templeton Investments. The effects of greenhushing are expected […]
Roughly seven in 10 (73 per cent) Ontario Pension Board plan members believe environmental, social and governance factors should play a critical role in the plan’s investment considerations, according to a new survey included in the investment organization’s inaugural ESG report. The survey, which polled roughly 10,000 plan members, found nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) of […]
The New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers’ Retirement System and Board of Education Retirement System signed an agreement with the Royal Bank of Canada to publicly disclose its financing ratio of low-carbon energy to fossil fuels. The investment organizations are mandating RBC, as well as Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co., to adhere […]
With the introduction of new sustainability and climate disclosure guidelines — IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 — from the International Sustainability Standard Board in January, institutional investors now have the opportunity to gain alignment in measuring environmental, social and governance risks associated with their investment portfolios. Read: Research finds pensions struggle to determine metrics for ESG […]
A majority (91 per cent) of Canadian institutional investors say climate change is a leading concern within the environmental, social and governance space, according to a new survey by Millani. The survey, which polled more than 30 institutional investors with a total of $4.5 trillion in assets under management, found 47 per cent of respondents also […]
Two New York City pension funds are pushing the Royal Bank of Canada to disclose more details on its clean energy funding. The shareholder resolution filed by the New York City Employees’ Retirement System and Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York asks that the bank fully report a ratio of how its clean […]
In the coming year, the Association of Canadian Pension Management is looking forward to the possibility of participating in final consultations on policies and legislation determining variable payment life annuities, says Todd Saulnier, a principal at Mercer and president of the ACPM board. The 2023 federal budget proposed amendments to the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985 […]
The House of Commons Special Committee studying Canada-China relations is calling on the federal government to bar Canadian pension funds from investing in Chinese companies linked to human rights abuses or that pose a threat to national security. In a report released last month, the special committee noted the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and […]
The market share of responsible investment assets under management rose slightly in 2022, from 47 per cent to 49 per cent, even as AUM in general decreased, according to the Responsible Investment Association’s annual trends report. The report tracks the national trends and outlook for responsible investing by surveying asset managers, including the Alberta Investment […]