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 […]
The Independent Electricity System Operator’s pension plan is in the midst of a comeback from a period of heightened post-coronavirus pandemic volatility, with diversification as the key to its investment roadmap, says Jeannette Briggs, the organization’s director of corporate finance who served as chair of its pension management committee from 2021 to 2023. After conducting […]
Environmental, social and governance standards have helped investors generate positive annualized returns, with environmental investments leading the pack globally, according to a new study from Amundi Asset Management. The study reviewed the annualized financial returns of long-short portfolios designed with a broad ESG theme and a more specialized approach in North America, Europe, China, India, […]
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 […]
A growing wave of opposition to environmental, social and governance factors has turned life in the sustainable finance industry into something of a roller coaster over the last couple of years. But a little turbulence is to be expected, says Alyson Slater, managing director of sustainable investment at Manulife Investment Management, encouraging institutional investors to […]
As an institutional investor, Asif Haque knows the Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology Pension Plan has a responsibility to meet the rising challenge of climate change through responsible capital deployment. “[We] have a gigantic role to play in using our ownership and influence to engage with companies on their transition to a low-carbon future,” […]
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 […]
The decision by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board this month to reduce 10 per cent of its China equity team based in Hong Kong is a positive move. It highlights a shift in the CPPIB’s approach to China, which previously saw the Canadian pension fund fend off accusations that its past investment activity in […]
Increased sensitivity around executive bonus compensation is pushing employers to prioritize transparency and communication when explaining why bonuses were awarded. The compensation method has seen increased scrutiny after Catherine Tait, CBC/Radio-Canada’s president and chief executive officer, didn’t rule out the deployment of management bonuses right after the public broadcaster announced last December it was cutting […]
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 […]