ESG – Benefits Canada.com

How Canada’s large pension funds are approaching green investment disclosures

bmcgovern — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:56:54 +0000

Institutional investors are disclosing the environmental impact of their assets through increasingly sophisticated sustainability reports that use the latest disclosure metrics. While some of Canada’s largest pension funds are at the forefront of how to leverage responsible investment mandates and attempt to enact change through leadership in global organizations, the shortcomings of data reporting standards […]

The post How Canada’s large pension funds are approaching green investment disclosures appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Suncor taking slow, steady approach to investment trends

bmcgovern — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 12:55:15 +0000

Amid an increasingly volatile global economy, many institutional investors are employing innovative investment strategies to deliver returns, but Suncor Energy Inc. views a methodical adoption of new trends as key to plan stability. A conservative approach and a balanced portfolio has allowed Suncor to deliver sustainable contributions and growth to its pension plans. At the […]

The post Suncor taking slow, steady approach to investment trends appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum: Integrating impact and non-impact investments within overall asset allocation

bmcgovern — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 11:58:52 +0000

Sustainable investing materializes when institutional investors start adding intentionality to their strategies and actions, said Maxime Chevalier, alternative investments specialist at Desjardins Global Asset Management (pictured left), during a session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum in June. For instance, ESG integration strategies can range from protecting investments from material […]

The post 2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum: Integrating impact and non-impact investments within overall asset allocation appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum: More options needed for institutional investors to track sustainable investments

bmcgovern — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 11:56:17 +0000

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 […]

The post 2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum: More options needed for institutional investors to track sustainable investments appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum: The connection between private assets and impact investments

bmcgovern — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 11:55:33 +0000

The goals of impact investing can be more easily achieved through private assets, said Martin Bélanger, director of investments at Western University, during a fireside chat at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum in June. “We’ve transitioned our private equity portfolio from a fund-to-fund approach to making direct investment in primary […]

The post 2024 Endowment & Foundation Investment Forum: The connection between private assets and impact investments appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Global employers say parental leave, EAPs among most prevalent minimum employee benefits: survey

bwolfe — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 17:30:16 +0000

The most prevalent minimum employee benefits that are offered by multinational companies are employee assistance programs and life insurance (73 per cent), maternity leave (70 per cent) and paternity leave (69 per cent), according to a new survey by Aon. The survey, which polled nearly 300 employers from across 31 countries, found these standard offerings […]

The post Global employers say parental leave, EAPs among most prevalent minimum employee benefits: survey appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Competition Bureau to speed development of guidance on new greenwashing rules

bmcgovern — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 19:00:05 +0000

The Competition Bureau is speeding up the development of guidance on the interpretation of new provisions in the Competition Act aimed at greenwashing. The federal watchdog said it has received a large number of requests and that it will develop guidance “on an accelerated basis.” Read: Head to Head: Is it time to change the terminology […]

The post Competition Bureau to speed development of guidance on new greenwashing rules appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

Canada’s missing navigation tool in the push to lower emissions

bmcgovern — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:00:10 +0000

It would be possible to get around a city if there were no agreed-upon street names, but it would take longer, people would get lost and international travellers might just give the place a pass. The same could be said of investors trying to navigate where to put the many trillions of dollars that are […]

The post Canada’s missing navigation tool in the push to lower emissions appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

UN’s Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance adopting intermediate targets

bmcgovern — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 13:00:27 +0000

The United Nations’ Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance — an association of financial organizations that includes the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec — is incorporating intermediary environmental targets as it continues its push to net-zero emissions by 2050. In addition to the new environmental reporting targets for asset owners, the association’s guidance now includes […]

The post UN’s Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance adopting intermediate targets appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.

CSSB’s climate risk disclosure standards should align with ISSB’s, with only Canadian-specific modifications: PIAC

bmcgovern — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0000

The Pension Investment Association of Canada supports closely aligning the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board disclosure standards with the International Sustainability Standards Board’s requirements but recommends it only make necessary Canadian-specific modifications to the guidance. In an open letter to the CSSB, the PIAC noted alignment between financial and sustainability reporting supports “a connectivity that is essential […]

The post CSSB’s climate risk disclosure standards should align with ISSB’s, with only Canadian-specific modifications: PIAC appeared first on Benefits Canada.com.