Your Guide to Responsible Investing, featured in Globe and Mail

Learn about ESG risks, green bonds, RI performance, RI training and other key topics in Your Guide to Responsible Investing. Read the e-magazine here.

Divestment trend shifts focus to 'ethical investments'  

Michelle De Cordova of NEI Investments was interviewed on CBC's The Current. She relates RI to risk analysis & due diligence, entering the conversation at 9:28. More. 

United Nations backs low carbon ETFs
The UN has provided seed funding for two new ETFs that invest in companies with low carbon emissions. Both ETFs track the MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target Index. More.

Independent Research in Responsible Investment (IRRI) Survey 2014

Global survey results shows how asset managers rate the services of ESG research providers. This year's winners include RIA Members: Sustainalytics (Best SRI analysis firm); ISS & MSCI ESG Research (Best corporate governance analysis firms), as well as individual staff from Sustainalytics and Amundi Asset Management. Full results here. 

Canadian market for 'climate-themed' bonds grows to $28B

Investor interest growing in climate-themed bonds, according to research report. More.
 

Desjardins launches new website on responsible investment

Desjardins has launched a new website to promote learning about RI in Canada. Read the news release here. Visit the website here. 

The Montreal Carbon Pledge and Portfolio Decarbonization Coalition (PDC)

By signing onto the Montreal Carbon Pledge, investors commit to measure and publicly disclose the carbon footprint of their investment portfolios on an annual basis. More. In addition, UNEP FI invites asset owners & managers to join the PDC. More.The Co-operators recently became the first Canadian insurer to sign Montreal Pledge. More. 

Launch of Solactive Corporate Knights Low Carbon Indices

Corporate Knights Capital has partnered with Solactive to launch a family of Low Carbon Indices, aiming to provide exposure to best-in-class companies in carbon intensive sectors, while maintaining benchmark exposure for companies in all other sectors. More.

MSCI: Report on investor oil sands visit

Yulia Reuter, Senior Oil & Gas Analyst  at MSCI, has written a brief report on her visit to Suncor's oil sands mine in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The briefing discusses key topics such as stranded asset risk. Read the report here. View more MSCI ESG Research here.

New report analyzes key ESG issues and trends that have emerged in the sector, as well as companies' abilities to manage ESG exposure. Executive summary. Full report.

2014 Asia Sustainable Investment Review

The Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA) has published its biennial trends report on the Asian RI industry. Media release. Full report. 
 

SHARE: Are Canadian corporations spending to influence the US political process?

New Ceres report on energy efficiency and renewables 

Ceres report: Energy efficiency and renewable energy provide low-risk, low-cost options for utility investment; fossil fuel and nuclear seen as higher risks. More

Research network SRI-Connect surpasses 100 users in Canada and 3,000 globally

SRI-Connect, the online research network for RI and corporate governance, now has over 3,000 active users, with 100 from Canada. Learn more about the research network here.

ESG now part of Ontario Pension Benefits Act

The Ontario Pension Benefits Act has been amended, and now requires pension plan administrators to establish a statement of investment policies and procedures (SIPPs) that contains information about whether ESG factors are incorporated. More. 

Ontario law to promote gender diversity on boards and in senior management

Ontario has taken action to increase the number of women in high-ranking positions in the workforce by approving securities law rule amendments that will encourage greater representation of women on corporate boards and in senior management teams. More. 

Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB)

A group of investors, an NGO, a think tank and a research firm are launching the first wide-scale project to rank companies on human rights performance. 500 global companies from four sectors - Agriculture, ICT, Apparel, Extractives - will be researched and ranked. More.

Access to Medicine Index 

Access to Medicine Index ranks pharmaceutical companies on their efforts to improve access to medicine for the poor. More

OECD foreign bribery report outlines corrupt business practices

New data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development outlines how and why international companies are paying bribes, and what happens to them. More.

The social and environmental impacts of palm oil

Learn about the social & environmental impacts of palm oil with this interactive tool. More.

Study finds dramatic decline in polar bear population

Researchers blame shrinking sea ice from global warming. More

Deb Abbey: Debunking the RI performance myth 

RIA CEO Deb Abbey explains that responsible investments have achieved similar or slightly better performance results than their non-RI counterparts. More

Boardroom gender diversification can be attained if companies have the will

7% of S&P/TSX companies have disclosed strategies to increase female representation in their boardrooms, and only 4% set out clear objectives to achieve their goals. Why are companies failing to fully engage in their commitment to board diversification? More.

Potential implications of ESG amendment in the Ontario Pension Benefits Act

Curious about the implications of the OPBA amendment? Randy Bauslaugh, who leads Pensions and Employee Benefits at McCarthy T�trault LLP, shares his perspective here.