Deficits and debt reduction were the main topics of conversation at a Canada2020 sponsored event in Ottawa on Wednesday morning, featuring Chief Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page and Jim Stanford, chief economist of the Canadian Auto Workers. The meeting was billed as a pre-budget debate, but with most economists expecting an “underwhelming” or “do nothing” […]
Canadian securities regulators expect improved environmental disclosure from the country’s reporting issuers and have released a guidance document towards meeting that goal. “Issuers are increasingly recognizing the current and potential effects on their performance and operations, both positive and negative, that are associated with environmental matters,” states the document, which was released Wednesday by the […]
A study out of Europe has found that assets held in socially responsible investment (SRI) mandates have soared to €5 trillion, a “spectacular” 87% increase from €2.7 trillion euros in 2008—most of which are institutional funds. Eurosif’s 2010 study of European SRI assets breaks down responsible investment assets under management (AUM) to “core SRI” and […]
Martin Grosskopf understands why pension plan sponsors might be reluctant to include environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in their investment decision-making process. But the director of sustainability research and fund manager at Acuity Investment Management strongly believes that ESG adds value to investment returns over the long term. And he agrees with the recommendations […]
Jantzi Research, one of Canada’s leaders in responsible investment research, has announced that it will join forces with Sustainalytics, a European provider of ESG research to the financial sector. The new company will operate as Sustainalytics globally and Janzti-Sustainalytics in North America. “The merger combines two trailblazers in responsible investment research,” the two companies said […]
Two years ago, Canada’s socially responsible investing (SRI) community was in a cheerful, even celebratory mood. Many of the country’s major pension funds, particularly in the public sector, had reversed their position on sustainable investing, embracing the concept that environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues do have an impact on a company’s bottom line and […]
Canada is facing an academic research deficit on responsible investment. However, there are new opportunities on the horizon, including a major international conference and the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation’s Responsible Investment Initiative. The project has already released its first paper, Responsible Property Investing and Property Management: Exploring the Impacts of Good Labour Practices on […]
A new survey suggests that most Canadians strongly support the concept of sustainability, even though they don’t always know what it means. The Hoggan & Associates 2009 study on Canadians’ attitudes toward sustainability was released June 15 at the Canadian Responsible Investment Conference in Winnipeg. Hoggan & Associates vice-president Nancy McHarg, who presented the study’s […]
In 2007, it seemed socially responsible investing (SRI) had finally reached its “tipping point” in Canada: institutional investors were on board following the UN’s Principles of Responsible Investment, and on the retail side, the big banks were launching their first-ever SRI funds. But, thanks to the credit crisis, the euphoria was short-lived, and today, SRI […]
A new report concludes that while socially responsible investors are ahead of the mainstream on many issues, such as transparency, corporate governance and predatory lending, they did not foresee the global credit crisis any better than the mainstream financial community. The report, The Financial Crisis: An Environmental, Social and Governance Perspective, was commissioned by the […]