RIA Newsletter
November 2015
RIA News










RIA Conference: June 6-7
Sponsorship opportunities for the 2016 RIA Conference are now available. The conference takes place June 6-7 at the Hyatt Regency Toronto. For sponsor details and general info about the conference, view the PDF  here. Registration will open in the new year. 

Insights from RIA CEO Deb Abbey
RIA CEO Deb Abbey's latest article for Investment Executive provides an overview of Canadian responsible investment firms' shareholder engagement initiatives that are helping to mitigate climate change while providing opportunities for investors.  Read the full article  here .

Canada's Newest Certified RI Advisors
The RIA is pleased to announce Canada's newest Certified Responsible Investment Advisors and Professionals. Congratulations to Bibiana Leikucs (RIAC), Christian Farstad (RIAC), Eric Goss (RIAC) and Walter Viguiliouk (RIPC) on joining a growing cohort of Certified RI Advisors and Professionals. More about certification here. 
RIA Blog: Valeant's Fall
ESG experts Gary Hewitt and Hazel Goedhart of Sustainalytics have written a new blog for the RIA to share insights about the recent scandal at Valeant Pharmaceuticals. The authors note that "Valeant is merely an extreme example of practices that have been persistent in the pharmaceutical industry for years." Read more   here .

RIA Member & CEO Featured in Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail has published an insightful, advisory-focused article on responsible investment titled, "Responsible Investing No Longer Means Accepting Lower Returns." The article features RIA Member Gail Taylor and RIA CEO Deb Abbey. View the story  here.
In This Issue
Upcoming Events

Dec 2, Webinar

Dec 8-9, New York

Dec 10, Webinar

Dec 16, Webinar


Feb 25-26, Vancouver

June 6-7, Toronto
RI Job Postings
MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, Toronto

Purpose Capital, Toronto

Inspirit Foundation, Toronto

Sustainalytics, Toronto
RI Industry News

Carbon Tracker Calculates Value at Risk in Canada
Report finds Canada has $220bn exposure to fossil fuel projects at risk of becoming stranded assets in the next decade. Globally, the report suggests fossil fuel firms risk wasting $2 trillion on uneconomic projects.  More.

TSX Launches 3 Climate Change Indexes
The Toronto Stock Exchange has launched three new subindexes designed to track the environmental impact of companies that trade on the exchange. More.

MSCI Resources on Volkswagen Scandal
MSCI ESG Research has assembled a webpage of resources on the Volkswagen scandal, including a timeline of events, a FAQ sheet, and a webinar recording. More.

Sustainalytics Expands its Carbon Solutions Suite
Sustainalytics has expanded its Carbon Solutions Suite to include Carbon Portfolio Analytics reports, and increased its company coverage and fossil fuel research. More.

RI Americas 2015: Risky Business, Risky Investments
The 7th annual RI Americas conference takes place December 9-10th in NYC. Join over 300 delegates and hear top level speakers from Canada, the US and Latin America. View the agenda here and more information here. 

New OSC Rules to Open Crowdfunding to Retail Investors
Ontario is joining four other provinces in regulatory changes that will allow individual to buy a stake in startups and small businesses through crowdfunding. More.

AIMCO Invests $200 Million in TransAlta Renewables
RIA Member AIMCo bought a $200-million stake in a renewable power provider the day after the Alberta government announced it would phase out coal.  More.

PRI to Consider New Principle Focusing on Systemic Risks
The UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) is considering a seventh principle that will focus on broad financial system systemic risks. More.

Ontario Regulator Releases Guidance on ESG Disclosure
FSCO has released guidance on how pension plan administrators in Ontario should approach new ESG disclosure requirements. More. 
ESG News

Women, Minorities Make Gains on Corporate Boards
The proportion of women on Canadian corporate boards increased almost 20% in 2015, but Canada continues to slide behind globally as other major countries move even more quickly to embrace diversity. More. 

Nestle Admits Slavery Used in Supply Chain
Nestle SA has admitted that impoverished migrant workers in Thailand are sold or lured by false promises and forced to catch and process fish in its supply chain.  More.

Volkswagen Faces Tax Evasion Probe
Struggling automaker Volkswagen is now the target of a tax evasion probe over a break it received for low-polluting cars. More.

Harvard's CEO Rankings Now Consider ESG 
The Harvard Business Review's annual ranking of chief executives now weights ESG performance at 20% of a CEO's overall performance. More. 

Enbridge Adds $200M to Wind Farm Holdings
Calgary-based pipeline company has increased its stake in the clean energy sector with a $200M wind farm, bringing its November total to $1B. More. 

Canada Starts COP21 with Promise of $300M Annually for Clean Tech
Canada is promising $300 million a year for R&D on clean energy technology as part of splashy kickoff to the opening day of the Paris climate conference. More.

Shell Says it Halted Oil Sands Project Over Pipeline Uncertainty
Shell says pipeline uncertainty played a role in the company's decision to take a $2B hit by scrapping a major oil sands project last month. More.
Research & Analysis

MSCI: New Women on Boards Report
New report shows that companies in the MSCI World Index with strong female leadership generated a Return on Equity of 10.1% per year versus 7.4% for those without. Read the summary here. Download the full report here. 

SHARE: Banking on 2C
SHARE has urged Canadian banks to be more transparent about their exposure to fossil fuel industries and how carbon pricing might affect portfolios. More.

PRI: Engagement Guidance on Corporate Tax Responsibility
RIA members NEI Investments and Bâtirente joined a PRI-led cohort of 11 investors to contribute to this new guidance report on responsible tax. More.

BlackRock: Global Warming's Impact on Portfolios
BlackRock report looks at the winners and losers in the race to reduce carbon footprint. Summary here. Report here. 

Cambridge: Unhedgeable Risk
Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership analyzes how growing awareness of future climate risks could impact financial markets in the short term. More.

CFA Institute: ESG Issues in Investing
The CFA Institute has released a guide to ESG for investment professionals. View the media release here. View the guide here. 
Viewpoints

Robert Walker and Peter Chapman: Investors Need a Strong Climate Policy
RI industry thought leaders from NEI and SHARE, respectively, explain that effective climate policy can stimulate innovation and bolster diversification of Alberta's economy. A strong climate policy will signal to investors that Alberta is in it for the long run.  More .

Ed Whittingham: A Very Good Day
Pembina Institute Director Ed Whittingham says the  world needs more of Alberta's climate leadership to avoid dangerous climate change while growing our economies. More.

Christiana Figueres: Three Signs Investors are Getting Serious on Climate
UN head of climate change identifies how investors are understanding and actively managing climate risk, which represents huge economic opportunity.  More .
Submissions

You are invited to submit news to be considered for inclusion in RIA newsletters
Send your news to staff@riacanada.ca, subject line "RIA Newsletter Submission."