Published on: November 25, 2019
Pictured above: Roger Beauchemin (left), President and Chief Executive Office at Addenda Capital, discussed impact investing at the GlobalCapital Sustainable and Responsible Capital Markets Forum 2019 in Amsterdam. The panel was moderated by Jon Hay, Corporate Finance and Sustainability Editor, GlobalCapital and also included: Timothy Coffin, Senior Vice President, Director of Sustainability, Breckinridge Capital Advisors; Wolfgang Kuhn, Fellow, ShareAction; and Alberto Matellán Pinilla, Chief Economist, MAPFRE.
In September, Roger Beauchemin, President and Chief Executive Officer at Addenda Capital, and Karen Higgins, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer at The Co-operators, led a sustainabilityfocused webinar. Hosted by the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation, the webinar discussed The Co-operators’ sustainability journey into impact investing. The Canadian insurer has dedicated 13% of its assets (1.2 billion $) to impact investing ? managed by Addenda ? aiming for compelling returns as well as measurable positive environmental and societal impacts.
Brian Minns, Vice-President, Sustainable Investing, joined the group of Canadian Climate Governance Experts who will offer free sessions on effective corporate governance practices to address climaterelated risks to company directors, pension trustees and fiduciaries. The initiative was spearheaded by Dr. Janis Sarra (University of British Columbia) and Professor Cynthia Williams (York University).
News About the Canadian Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance
In its Final Report, released in June, the Expert Panel provided recommendations for how finance can be mobilized to ensure Canada is a leader in the global transition to a low-carbon economy.
PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL MARKETS — RAISING STANDARDS
Equator Principles Feedback
The Equator Principles is a framework currently used by 97 financial institutions in 37 countries to assess and manage environmental and social risks in their project financing activity. As part of a stakeholder consultation for the revision of the Principles, Addenda Capital recommended that signatories align with the Paris Agreement and that they commit to disclosing according the TCFD1’s final recommendations. Enhancing the Equator Principles benefits institutional investors as it would strengthen risk mitigation and management by investee companies engaged in project finance.
Feedback on Institutional Shareholder Services’ (ISS) Voting Policy Consultation
ISS is a leading global provider of proxy voting, corporate governance and responsible investment solutions. In response to its 2019 Benchmark Policy Survey, Addenda Capital provided feedback on suggested topics including: board gender diversity, director overboarding, and director accountability relating to climate change risk. ISS will consider the feedback when updating their policies for next year.
Call on US Companies to Align Climate Lobbying with Paris Agreement
Addenda Capital was among the 200 institutional investors (representing a combined $6.5 trillion in assets-under-management) who announced that they are calling on 47 of the largest U.S. publicly traded corporations to align their climate lobbying with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The statement warns that lobbying activities that are inconsistent with meeting global climate goals can be an investment risk.
Letter to the SEC Regarding Shareholder Rights
Addenda signed on to a letter coordinated by the US SIF2 intended for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding the current shareholder proposal process3. The letter explains that the process has strengthened capital markets and improved corporate performance and does not need to be changed.
1 OSC Notice 11-785 Statement of Priorities for Financial Year to End March 31, 2020
2 US SIF: The mission of the US Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is to shift investment practices towards sustainability.
3 Rule 14(a)(8) of the 1934 Securities Exchange Act
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1 STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics