The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is allocating $5 billion to businesses with high-carbon emissions, according to its annual responsible investing and climate strategy report. “Recognizing the urgency of the climate crisis, we have committed to actively investing in select emissions intensive assets with the express goal of helping them decarbonize faster,” wrote Zlad Hindo, chief […]
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 […]
While global institutional investors expect losses to continue in the fixed income market and are concerned that central banks may be too optimistic on the peak of inflation, they’re also finding good news in alternative investments and the importance of environmental, social and governance factors, according to a new report by Aeon Investments. The report, […]
While one expert says the two approaches work most effectively together, the other highlights the importance of complete divestment. Adam Scott, director at Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health: The common framing of engagement versus divestment is a false dichotomy. They aren’t mutually exclusive approaches — both are essential tools for pension managers, […]
While many organizations have launched a sustainability strategy, Sun Life Financial Inc.’s strategy is anchored in three fundamental principles: financial security, sustainable investing and living healthier lives, according to Eric Monteiro, the insurer’s senior vice-president in group retirement, during a panel discussion at Benefits Canada‘s 2022 DC Plan Summit. Three-quarters (78 per cent) of pension […]
The University Pension Plan is rolling out a new climate strategy that aims to make its portfolio carbon neutral by 2040. “I’m proud that we’ve set an ambition consistent with the challenge we face,” says Brian Minns (pictured), managing director of responsible investing at the UPP. “We’re going to deliver on our investment returns in […]
The Canadian Investment Funds Standards Committee is releasing the final framework it will use to identify investment funds that disclose adopting responsible investing strategies. “Given the rapidly developing nature of global [environmental, social and governance]-related and sustainable investing frameworks, the CIFSC’s intent is not to further complicate the global or Canadian landscape but, rather, to […]
Diversity, equity and inclusion is a business imperative that has a direct impact on institutional investors’ overall performance. While investors can have the best strategy and all the capital in the world, human capital is critical to executing the organization’s vision and generating returns, said Sunita Mahant, senior director of legal affairs and head of […]
To divest or not to divest — that was the question posed by Catherine Ann Marshall, principal consultant at RealAlts Inc, in a panel discussion during the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2022 Global Investment Conference in April. “When it comes to the climate transition, there’s these two basic approaches,” she said. “On one hand, we talk […]
Directors, trustees and investment managers at Canada’s largest public pension funds are deeply involved in the fossil fuel sector, according to a new report by Shift Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health. It found 56 staff members from the largest public sector pension plans hold 76 different corporate director roles at 39 different fossil […]