FTSE Russell is launching a government bond index that weighs countries’ preparedness and resilience to climate change risk. A spin-off of the FTSE world government bond index, the new FTSE climate risk-adjusted world government bond index will include the sovereign bonds of 22 developed markets. In order to establish its climate-risk weightings, FTSE is using […]
Identifying language more commonly used by a certain gender could have bearing on data analysis of socially responsible investment choices. A new metric, formulated by alternative data firm Indexia, measures the relative male- or female-dominated nature of language used by a company. The metric was built through a process of analyzing millions of direct quotations from both […]
When it comes to investing member contributions, the Co-operators Group Ltd.’s defined contribution pension doesn’t look like many other Canadian plans. For one, it doesn’t use a platform approach to investing. Instead, much of its more than $1 billion in assets under management are part of a pre-constructed balanced fund with different target-risk levels with […]
When ESG, the catch-all acronym for environmental, social and governance, is discussed, a lot of terms are thrown around. As these issues increasingly play into institutional investors’ decision-making, they need to know what it all means. Climate change dominates among environmental concerns, but plastic waste is also holding investor attention. Major social issues include preventing […]
The Desjardins Group pension plan is acquiring a portion of EDF Renewables Canada Inc.’s stake in the Cypress Wind Project, pending the completion of its construction and other terms and conditions. Located southeast of Medicine Hat, Alta., the project will include 48 turbines with a combined capacity of 201.6 megawatts. Construction is expected to start in […]
While carbon concerns have been dominating conversations among institutional investors looking to mitigate environmental risk, the issue of water usage should be higher on their list, according to a paper by Russell Investments Group. “Overall, we have concluded that the current water-related investment tools available are insufficient and inhibit investors from converting insights into meaningful […]
The Desjardins Group Pension Plan is set to acquire a portion of EDF Renewables Canada Inc.’s stake in the Cypress Wind Project, pending the completion of its construction and other terms and conditions. Located southeast of Medicine Hat, Alta., the project will total 48 turbines with a combined capacity of 201.6 megawatts. Construction is expected […]
Environmental, social and governance issues are becoming a bigger part of executive compensation, according to a new report by Mercer. In a survey of 135 North American organizations, 30 per cent said they’re currently using ESG metrics in their incentive plans, while 21 per cent are considering doing so. It also found organizations are more […]
An expert panel on sustainable finance is advocating for the government to implement a number of recommendations, including some related to pension plans and individual retirement savings accounts. For defined contribution plans, other group pension programs and registered retirement savings plans, the report suggested offering tax-based financial incentives for people who invest in accredited climate-conscious […]
Almost a third of General Motors Inc. investors with nearly $2 trillion in total assets under management voted in favour of a shareholder resolution last week requesting the car manufacturer disclose its lobbying practices around vehicle emission standards. The vote, led by Canadian responsible investment firm NEI Investments and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, took […]