Asset managers have responded to a growing demand from investors for socially responsible investing, with pledges to integrate environmental, social and governance factors into the way they invest. But investors are skeptical that companies are making as much progress as they say. More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of Canadian institutional investors believe companies are overstating […]
While target-date funds have traditionally been a one-sized-fits-almost-all solution, innovation to integrate environmental, social and governance-oriented strategies into these funds is coming just as plan members are seeking more sustainable investing options. “The vast majority of Canadians say ESG integration is important in their investing,” said Wylie Tollette, executive vice-president and head of client investment […]
With sustainable investing gaining significant popularity, it’s critically important for defined contribution plan sponsors to understand how underlying investment managers integrate environmental, social and governance factors into their investment processes. “Let’s think about ESG not as a separate process and overlay or a yes or no question, but as a core reinforcing part of how […]
KPMG Canada has seen firsthand the benefits that environmental, social and governance investing can have on employees’ retirement savings and the wider world. It recently introduced an environmental leaders fund into its defined contribution pension plan lineup. In the month it was launched, contributions into the fund from the organization and its employees played a […]
Morningstar Inc. is appointing Tom Kuh as its first global head of environmental, social and governance strategy. In the newly created role, Kuh will be responsible for advancing the Chicago-based financial services firm’s strategy to accelerate growth while harnessing its broad ESG strengths. He’ll report to Rolf Agather, head of research and product. Read: Mark Carney […]
More than 100 global institutional investors and asset managers are committing to a project that seeks to standardize environmental, social and governance metrics to provide a mechanism for comparative reporting in the private equity industry. The ESG Data Convergence Project, which was launched in September 2021, now includes commitments from the British Columbia Investment Management […]
Ivanhoé Cambridge, the real estate arm of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, is entering a new joint venture to construct multifamily rental units in Chile. The deal, reached with Greystar Real Estate Partners, will focus on build-to-rent properties in Santiago, the nation’s capital and largest city. In a press release, Adriano Mantesso, […]
Canadian pension funds are generating value by investing in green urban real estate using a two-pronged strategy, according to a paper on the Social Science Research Network. “Through this model of impact investing, Canadian pension funds create the value from the ground up and drive the sustainable development of large cities,” wrote authors Sebastien Betermier, […]
A growing number of institutional investors are pledging to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in their portfolios by 2050, according to a new survey by Cerulli Associates. Nearly a third of asset managers (31 per cent) and institutional asset owners (32 per cent) said they’ve made a formal commitment to a net-zero goal, while another 21 per […]
Investors should expect the unexpected in 2022, according to George Athanassakos, professor of finance and the Ben Graham chair in value investing at Western University’s Ivey School of Business. “2022 is likely to be filled with hidden hazards, both known unknowns and unknown unknowns,” he wrote in an email to the Canadian Investment Review. This […]