A group of U.S. institutional investors is petitioning the Securities and Exchange Commission to impose an obligation on companies to report on certain prescribed environmental, social and governance issues. “In response to changing business norms and pressure from investors, most of America’s largest public companies are attempting to provide additional information to meet these changing […]
A growing number of institutional investors believe integrating environmental, social and governance factors into their portfolios can help generate alpha, according to a new survey by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. This represents a major jump, from 24 per cent in last year’s survey to 38 per cent this year. On the other hand, 20 per […]
While more than half (53 per cent) of investment managers believe the business case for developing a diverse workforce is either strong or very strong, many institutional investors have a difficult time achieving that goal, according to a new report by the CFA Institute. “The hardest part of my job is building a diverse workforce,” said an unidentified […]
The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan has signed an agreement promising to divest from the tobacco industry as part of a wider pledge supported by multiple global government and health organizations. “Given the reputational, social and commercial headwinds facing the tobacco industry today, we are no longer confident that it represents an attractive investment opportunity for a […]
Both institutional investors and the companies they take stakes in must innovate to take meaningful action on climate change, says Hugh O’Reilly, president and chief executive officer of the OPSEU Pension Trust. “We have to accept that as an investor community, we haven’t done nearly enough,” says O’Reilly. “In light of that, from a certain perspective, […]
One of Canada’s largest pension fund managers says trillions of dollars should be shifted into investments that will counter global warming, in part because it’s crucial to long-term profits. Michael Sabia, president and chief executive officer of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, spoke Tuesday at a roundtable discussion on sustainable finance on the eve […]
Just one Canadian pension fund ranked in the top 20 global funds based on their responses to the recommendations of the task force on climate-related financial disclosures, according to new research by the Asset Owners’ Disclosure Project. The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, which was awarded a BBB rating, placed No. 16 out of the top 100 […]
The British Columbia Investment Management Corp. has published its investment plan for tackling climate change. Motivated by its clients’ interest in thoroughly understanding their exposure to climate change risk and opportunity, the plan outlines four core activities: managing risk, integration, seeking out opportunities and engaging and advocating. It will also comply with recommendations from the Financial Stability Board’s […]
Institutional investors that divested from fossil fuels in the past five years didn’t do so at the expense of returns, according to new data by Genus Capital Management Inc. The firm’s 2018 divestment report, which looked at the returns gained by its Fossil Free CanGlobe equity fund, showed it beat its own benchmark and the Canadian stock market […]
A group of financial institutions, including the OPSEU Pension Trust, is launching a climate-focused pilot project that will map potential future climate impacts on investment performance. The project aims to integrate quantified risks associated with climate change into standard, forward-looking financial scenarios that drive strategic investment decision-making, according to a press release. The investors involved will use […]