The Responsible Investment Association is appointing Patricia Fletcher as its incoming chief executive officer, effective Feb. 7, 2022. Prior to the new role, Fletcher was vice-president of education at the Institute of Corporate Directors. She spent nearly nine years as managing director at the Canadian Institute, three years as director of the Hay Group’s information […]
Asset managers that incorporate climate change into their investment processes are increasingly looking beyond commitments to net zero and exploring the impact on asset valuation, said Michelle Dunstan, chief responsibility officer at AllianceBernstein, during a session at the Canadian Investment Review‘s 2021 Investment Innovation Conference. “A changing climate can be described both in terms of […]
A high-profile fraud case and a devastating oil spill directly inspired Maria Elena Drew to focus on environmental, social and governance factors in her investment career. During her session at the Canadian Investment Review’s 2021 Investment Innovation Conference, the director of research in responsible investing at T. Rowe Price said she began her ESG journey […]
The University of Toronto is the latest institution committing to the divestment movement, saying Wednesday it will sell off all fossil fuel investments in its $4 billion endowment fund by the end of 2030 to help fight climate change. The commitment by its investment manager, the University of Toronto Asset Management Corp., includes divesting from all direct investments […]
The University Pension Plan is appointing Aaron Bennett (pictured left) as its first chief investment officer. In his new role, Bennett will be responsible for establishing an innovative, risk-optimized investment strategy designed to offer retirement security to plan members and promote responsible investing, according to a press release. Read: UPP naming Christophe L’Ahelec director of external manager program […]
Michel Charron has had a front-row seat for the revolution in the Canadian investment industry’s approach to environmental, social and governance issues. Following the foundation of the United Nation’s principles for responsible investment in 2008, his firm, PBI Actuarial Consultants Inc., immediately signed up. But the concept required explanation for some pension plan sponsors, he […]
Institutional investors that are signed onto the United Nations’ principles for responsible investment had a higher five-year average net return compared to non-signatories, according to a report by CEM Benchmarking Inc. The benchmarking consultancy, which studied the net returns of 42 signatories participating in its database for five consecutive years ending in 2018, found that […]
The University Pension Plan has appointed Brian Minns as its first managing director of responsible investing. Prior to joining the UPP, Minns spent 10 years working for Addenda Capital Inc, culminating a three-year tenure as its vice-president of sustainable investing. In that role, he was responsible for impact investing and the implementation of environmental, social and […]
Employees at two Canadian pension plans are being recognized for their responsible investment achievements. The British High Commission and the Canada Climate Law Initiative named Barbara Zvan, inaugural president and chief executive officer of the University Pension Plan, and Kim Thomassin, executive vice-president and head of investments in Quebec and stewardship investing at the Caisse […]
The majority (86 per cent) of Imperial Oil Ltd. investors voted to defeat a shareholder resolution that the organization adopt a target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, the vote held during the Calgary-based company’s virtual annual meeting exposes a rift between its parent U.S. giant Exxon Mobil Corp. — which owns 69.6 […]