Category: News

Congratulations to Canada’s newest recipients of the RIA’s financial designations in recognition of expertise in responsible investing. View a full list of RIA-Certified individuals here.

Learn more about the RIA’s training and certifications here.

Susan Andrighetti (RIS), CIBC Wood Gundy
Emily Astren (RIS)
Adam Baird (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Brandy Bassendowski (RIS), Servus Credit Union
Frédérique Beaumont-Vézina (RIS), Vézina et Fille Services Financiers
Steve Beauregard (RIS), De Champlain Groupe Financier Inc
Sebastien Bernier (RIS)
Jean-François Blais (RIS)
Greg Boles (RIS), 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union
Laurence Bouvet (RIAC), Laurence Bouvet Conseils
Evan Brow (RIS) Vancity
Dylan Brown (RIS), Brown & Associates / Sterling Mutuals Inc.
Michael Butler (RIS)
Jamie Campbell (RIS)
Jean-Sébastien Charron (RIS)
Bree Chartier (RIS), Thrive Wealth Management
Sara Clarke (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Brad Compton (RIS), Assante Capital Management Ltd.
Kenneth Coombs (RIS), Selectpath Benefits & Financial Inc.
Rita Costa (RIS), Servus Credit Union
Pierre A Coté (RIS), Pierre.A.Coté & Associés inc.
Stéphan Crête (RIS), Services financiers SC
Mei Yu (Yulia) Cu (RIS), SunLife
Damita Dai (RIS)
Sasheka Daljitsingh (RIS)
Alexandre Demets (RIS), Placements Financière Sun Life
Guillaume Denis-Ducharme (RIS), Lightaus Groupe Financier
Michael Derby (RIS), Polson Bourbonniere Derby Wealth Management
Suzanne Dionne (RIS), Desjardins
Xiao Xi (Diana) Duan (RIS), G&F Financial Group
Guylaine Duplessis (RIS), Desjardins
Jackson Edward (Ted) (RIPC), Jackson and Associates Ltd
Tracy Evans (RIS), FundEX Investments Inc.
Alex Forsey (RIS)
Karen Fox (RIS), Aldergrove Financial Services Ltd.
Marie-Claude Gaudet (RIS), Les services financiers Sylvie Béland Inc.
Kari Geddes (RIS), Uxbridge Mortgage Solutions
Martin Gervais (RIS), De Champlain
Mélissa Giroux (RIS), Desjardins
Simon-Pier Goulet (RIS), Desjardins
Don Graham (RIS), G&F Financial Group
Emily Graham (RIS), IA Clarington Investments
Jennifer Gunning (RIAC), Gunning Wealth Management Group
Jonathan Ha (RIS), Freedom 55 Financial & Quadrus Investments
Daniel Harissa (RIS), Lafond Services Financiers
Marylou Heenan (RIS), Assante Capital Management Ltd.
Matthew Hicks (RIS), Northern Credit Union
Dan Iamonaco (RIS), Meridian
Andrew Inthahack (RIS), Alterna Savings
Aleks Janjic (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Therese Josefsson (RIS)
Simon Juteau (RIS), Juteau Services financiers inc
Frédérik Jutras (RIS), Desjardins
Khaled Khaled (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Michael Khan (RIS) SunLife
Melissa Koehn (RIS), Mackenzie Investments
Mike Kombargi (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Dominic Labrie (RIS), MICA Capital
Roxane Lacouline (RIS), Desjardins
Hubert Laforce (RIS), CI Gestion de patrimoine Assante
Florian Lahaye (RIS) Desjardins
Todd Leach (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Marc-André Lebel (RIS), C2 office familial
Daniel Lee (RIS), Edward Jones
Tracy Legge (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Caroline Lemieux (RIS), Larochelle-Conseils
Matthews Lesley (RIPC), Polaris Solutions Inc.
Bryce Letham (RIS), Vancity
Jeffrey Li (RIS)
Henry Ly (RIS), Interior Savings
Christopher Lyn (RIS), SunLife
Craig MacDougall (RIAC), Vancity
Bradley Mackenzie (RIS), Empire Life
Sylvain Mantha (RIS), Services financiers Sylvain Mantha Inc
Harry Matheis (RIS), Matheis Financial Group
Johanne Messier (RIS), Desjardins
Coral Mihalick (RIS), BMO Nesbitt Burns
Judy Mills (RIS), Credential Asset Management
Jeffrey Mills (RIS), Northern Credit Union
Eric Monfils (RIS), Gestion financière Assante Ltée
Alexander Mood (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Shahla Moodad (RIS), Vancity Credit Union
Michael Morgan-Schubert (RIS), Northern Wealth Management
Letlhogonolo Mzwinila (RIS)
Greg Nakano (RIS), G&F Financial Group
Patrick Nesci (RIS), Alterna Savings
Anh Ngo (RIS), Strategic Financial Consulting Inc
Vincent Nijjar (RIS)
Travis Oldfield (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Chris Oliver (RIS), Nothern Credit Union
David Panchyshyn (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Michael Papotto (RIS), iA Clarington
Patti Passmore (RIS), FirstOntario Credit Union
Patrick Lim Pat Wah (RIPC)
Alpeshkumar Patel (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Luc-Olivier Pelletier (RIS), Desjardins
Isabelle Petitjean (RIS), Desjardins
Simon Piche (RIS), SFL Gestion de patrimoine
Kelley Reid (RIS), Sterling Mutuals Inc.
Manon Robert (RIS) CATENA
Michelle Rogers (RIS)
Kevin Rous (RIS)
Daniel Roy (RIS), Praxis Wealth Management
Beattie Samantha (RIPC), Ernst and Young LLP
Luisa Santopietro (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Jessica Sarrazin (RIS), Carte Wealth Management Inc
Scott Schram (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Siegfried Schreve (RIS)
Samantha Seaman (RIS), HollisWealth
Bernier Sebastien (RIPC)
Paramish Seebooa (RIS), NEI Investments
David Semerak (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Kusum Sen (RIS), Desjardins
Mohammad Seyrafi (RIS), Vancity Credit Union
Paul Shelestowsky (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
Sanjay Singla (RIS), BMO Global Asset Management
Haesun (Marie) Suk (RIS), Vancity Credit Union
Jean-Nagual Taillefer (RIS), Groupe Financier Praxis inc.
Peter J. Tessari (RIS), Alterna Savings
Laurie Therrien (RIS), Services Financiers Therrien & Alain Inc.
Fabien Thyard (RIS) Desjardins
Lance Toly (RIS), 1st Choice Savings and Credit Union
Christian Toussaint (RIS), Services Financiers Toussaint
Amanda Van Soelen (RIS), Royal City Asset Management
Jaysen Veloso (RIS), Sun Life
Deanna Venn (RIS), Affinity Credit Union
Andrew Wallace (RIS), NEI Investments
Shayne Williams (RIS), Noventis Credit Union
Sonya Willy (RIS), Unity Credit Union Limited
Ann Wong (RIS), CUSO Wealth Strategies Inc.
Tyler Wood (RIS), Meridan Credit Union
Scott Zhang (RIS), G&F Financial Group

It’s going to be a big year for responsible investment and sustainable finance in Canada. It’s also a big year for the RIA as we launch a new set of strategic priorities to guide our work for the next three years.

While our strategic priorities for 2021-24 largely represent a continuation and consolidation of the previous ones, there are some exciting new additions, such as the incorporation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals into our vision statement. This provides the RIA with a “North Star” to guide our activities and programming. Our vision statement is provided below:

The RIA aims to drive the growth and development of responsible investment (RI) in Canada’s retail and institutional markets, with a vision to align capital with sustainable and inclusive development as codified in the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Given Canada’s position as one of the largest energy producers in the world and its need to improve diversity & inclusion in business leadership, the RIA’s priority themes include a just energy transition and a diverse & inclusive business landscape in Canada. Stewardship and impact investing are recognized as important strategies for catalyzing sustainable and inclusive development.

Flowing from this vision statement, the RIA’s strategic priorities are summarized as follows:

• Educate: We will continue to promote education for the industry and the broader market.
• Catalyze: We will play a leadership role in catalyzing market development and promoting market integrity in Canada with respect to RI.
• Advocate: We will advance a policy/regulatory environment that is conducive to RI.
• Build: We will continue to build our brand and reputation as the hub and leading voice for RI in Canada.
• Grow: We will continue to focus on growing our financial and human capital resources to strengthen our capacity.

You can download and read the full strategic priorities document here.

Special thanks to our board of directors for their contributions to this important work.

We are pleased to share the Responsible Investment Association’s 2021 event calendar. Given the uncertainty around vaccinations and the safety of physical events, all 2021 events are being planned as virtual events. If things improve substantially later on in 2021, and physical events become safe, legal, and marketable, the RIA will consider hosting a few smaller physical events later in the year.

Additional webinars and virtual events will be added, but we wanted to share our calendar of planned events so you can save the dates and plan accordingly. We will follow up to provide more details in the new year.

Congratulations to Canada’s newest recipients of the RIA’s financial designations in recognition of expertise in responsible investing. View a full list of RIA-Certified individuals here.

Learn more about the RIA’s training and certifications here.

Deanne Anderson (RIS), Thrive Wealth Management
Sina Asgari (RIS), G&F Financial Group
Aanu Balogun (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Alexandre Bissonnette (RIS), Financière Banque Nationale
Maggy Bissonnette (RIS), Desjardins
David Blackburn (RIS), Sudbury Credit Union
Maryse Boudreault (RIS), Desjardins
Rene Boudreault (RIS), St. Cyr and Associates
Jenny Boudrias (RIS), Desjardins
Philippe Boulay (RIS), Services financiers Philippe Boulay inc.
Jordan Brohman (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Sheri Brunton (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Steven Camele (RIS), Gulf and Fraser Insurance Services LTD.
Terry Campbell (RIS), Connect First Wealth
David Chan (RIS), G&F Financial Group
Patrice Charbonneau (RIS), Fianciere Banque Nationals
Francis Cheng (RIS), Raymond James
Raoul Chopra (RIPC)
Tammy Collins (RIS), UNI Coopération financière
Geoff Cook (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Isabelle Cote (RIS), Desjardins
Simon-Pierre Cote (RIS), Pierre.A.Coté & Associés inc.
Daniel Cyr (RIS), Patrimoine Hollis
Sébastien Desjardins (RIS), GCF Pro
Guillaume Desjardins-Tessier (RIS), Raymond James Ltd.
Suzanne Dionne (RIS)
Tom Du (RIPC)
Stephanie Ducharme (RIS), Desjardins
Mohamed Emara (RIS), Edward Jones
David Francoeur (RIS), Desjardins
Jean-François Fournier (RIS), Desjardins
Daniel Frenza (RIS), Frenza Cabinet Conseil
Richard Gaudet (RIS), UNI Coopération financière
Garret Gildersleeve (RIS), Island Savings Wealth Management
Gene Goral (RIS), Ensemble Wealth Management
Jessica Grasso (RIS), Investment Planning Counsel
Simon Hamel (RIS)
Danalie Huard (RIS), Desjardins
Dean Johnson (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Ryan Kurtz (RIS), Courts Financial Group
Julie Lampron (RIS), Desjardins
Claude Landry (RIS), Desjardins
Nadine Léger (RIS), UNI Coopération financière
Frédéric Lemmel (RIS), Financière Banque Nationale
Sara Lima (RIS), Envision Financial
Marsharee Lindsay (RIS), ACU
Éliane Longchamps (RIS), Desjardins
Thomas Luccioni (RIS), Placements Manuvie
Amber Lundin (RIS) Meridian Credit Union
Joshua Mann (RIS), Kindred Credit Union
Amadeo Martinez Moya (RIS), HollisWealth
Brian McKechnie (RIS), Thrive Wealth Management
Matt McKenna (RIS), Scotia Wealth
Chris Mills (RIS), Raymond James Ltd.
Norman C. Moffatt (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Jade Montour (RIS), Desjardins
Purmanand Nilmadhub (RIS), SunLife
Dana Ostapowich (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Catherine Paquet (RIS), Lafond Services Financiers
Scott Pountney (RIPC)
Milan Rabari (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Yves Razafindrazaka (RIAC), Assante
Daniel Reshef (RIS)
Zaiba Riaf (RIS), G&F Financial Group
Sophie Rousseau (RIS), Desjardins
Joshua Rowland (RIPC), AGF Investments Inc.
Cherry Salaria (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Jamie Sekine (RIS), IPC Investment Corporation
Anand Sharma (RIS), G&F Financial Group
Raymond Snoei (RIS), Manulife Securities
Edmond So (RIS)
Asha Srikanth (RIS), Investia Financial Services
Marcel Thibault (RIS), Marcel Thibault Services Financiers
Jason Topolnisky (RIS), Synergy Credit Union
Tanya Vellenoweth (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
G. Philip Viger (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Austin West (RIS), Synergy Credit Union
Haixin (Charlene) Xia (RIS), Conexus Credit Union

Responsible investments that incorporate environmental, social and governance factors now represent 61.8% of professionally managed assets in Canada.

TORONTO – November 26, 2020 – The 2020 Canadian Responsible Investment Trends Report reveals that responsible investment (RI) continues to grow rapidly in Canada. The biennial report, released today by Canada’s Responsible Investment Association (RIA), tracks the scale, trends, and outlook for responsible investment, which refers to investments that incorporate environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues into the selection and management of investments.

According to the latest available data, RI assets grew from $2.1 trillion at the end of 2017 to $3.2 trillion as at December 31st, 2019. This represents a 48% increase in RI assets under management (AUM) over two years. These figures reflect assets that fall into seven different RI strategies or categories including ESG integration, shareholder engagement, negative screening, norms-based screening, positive screening, thematic ESG investing, and impact investing.

Responsible investing now accounts for 61.8% of Canadian AUM, up from 50.6% two years earlier. Retail RI mutual fund assets increased from $11.1 billion to $15.1 billion, up 36% over two years. This growing market share shows that Canadian investors increasingly view ESG factors as important components of investment decisions, with an overwhelming majority of 97% of respondents expecting moderate to high levels of growth in RI over the next two years.

“This research confirms that responsible investment is not a trend; it’s a paradigm shift,” said Dustyn Lanz, CEO of the RIA. “The investment industry is undergoing a secular transformation, stewarding assets towards more sustainable and inclusive outcomes for society while protecting long-term shareholder value.” He added, “For asset managers and financial advisors, RI expertise is no longer ‘a nice to have’; it’s table stakes.”

“Asset managers are hearing loud and clear that Canadians want to make a difference through their investments, with ‘investor demand for ESG/impact’ predicted to be the top driver of RI over the next two years,” said Frederick M. Pinto, Senior Vice President and Head of Asset Management for NEI Investments. “NEI is committed to helping guide the industry toward a greater focus on active ownership and impact solutions to help meet that demand.”

Key Highlights


• $3.2 trillion in RI assets under management (AUM).
• 48% growth in RI AUM over a two-year period.
• RI represents 61.8% of Canada’s investment industry, up from 50.6% two years ago.
• Retail RI mutual fund assets increased from $11.1 billion to $15.1 billion, up 36% over two years. RI ETF assets more than doubled from $240.6 million to $654.9 million during the same period.
• The two most prominent RI strategies by AUM are: (1) ESG integration and (2) shareholder engagement.
• The ESG frameworks most often used by survey respondents in their investment analysis are: (1) Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD); (2) United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and (3) Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).
• Survey respondents reported the top four reasons for considering ESG factors are: (1) minimizing risk over time, (2) improving returns over time, (3) fulfilling fiduciary duty, and (4) fulfilling mission, purpose or values.
• 97% of respondents expect moderate to high levels of growth in RI over the next two years.

View the full report here.

About the Canadian RI Trends Report
The RIA publishes the Canadian Responsible Investment Report on a biennial basis to understand and assess the characteristics of responsible investment in Canada. Researchers collected survey data from more than 100 asset managers, asset owners, and publicly-available sources. This primary data was supplemented by publicly-available sources such as annual reports. The researchers avoided double counting by subtracting approximately $638 billion in RI assets which overlapped between external managers and funds of funds. All figures are stated in Canadian dollars as at December 31st, 2019. The 2020 report was generously sponsored by NEI Investments.

About the Responsible Investment Association (RIA)
The RIA is Canada’s industry association for responsible investment. The RIA’s membership includes asset managers, asset owners, advisors, and service providers who support its mandate of promoting responsible investment in Canada’s retail and institutional markets. RIA members collectively manage more than $20 trillion in assets. Learn more at www.riacanada.ca.

Contact
Nick Buccheri
Director, Operations
Responsible Investment Association
+1 416-461-6042

Congratulations to Canada’s newest recipients of the RIA’s financial designations in recognition of expertise in responsible investing. View a full list of RIA-Certified individuals here.

Learn more about the RIA’s training and certifications here.

Krista Ahern (RIS), Credential Asset Management Inc.
Mantasha Alam (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Ameera Alindogan (RIS), Synergy Credit Union
Adam Anderson (RIS), Sun Life Financial
Dariene Andros (RIS), Credential Asset Management Inc.
Alissa Angel (RIS), Sun Life Financial
Vanessa Arsenault (RIS), Desjardins
Ebenezer Arthur (RIPC), Wangara Green Ventures
Siyanbola Raph Babatunde (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Matthew Beckett (RIS), Coastal Community Private Wealth Group
Peter Bennett (RIS)
Taylor Bertrand (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Sandra C. Best (RIS), Sunlife
Joss Biggins (RIAC), EthicInvest – Leede Jones Gable Inc.
Zachary Blanchard-Seguin (RIS), Investment Planning Counsel
Cédric Blanchette (RIS), Lafond Services financiers
Laurie Bosse (RIS), R.E.G.A.R. Gestion Financière
Simon Bouliane-Dufresne (RIS), R.E.G.A.R. Gestion Financière
Valerie Boutin (RIS), Desjardins
David Brunton (RIS), Brunton / Black Stock Financial Services
Tyler Callegari (RIS), Envision Financial
Daniel Carbone (RIS), Meridian Credit Union
William Chaif (RIS), Le REEI Le régime enregistré d’épargne invalidité
Jacob Chang (RIS)
Hugo Chavez (RIPC)
Benoit Chênevert (RIS)
Linda Chouinard (RIS), SFL Placements
Frank Cipolla (RIS)
Amy Close (RIS), Unity Credit Union Limited
Melissa Colmor (RIS), Desjardins
Jim Couturier (RIS), Couturier Financial Solutions Inc.
Ryan Currie (RIS), Island Savings
Linda Davies (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Nicole Delsnyder (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Travis Devenney (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Alkarim Dhanani (RIS), Envision Financial
Ismael Diallo (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Mauricio Dreher (RIS), Canfin Financial Group
Michael DuQuesnay (RIS), Hollis Wealth
Brad Faulhafer (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Andrea Frustaci (RIS), Envision Financial
Patrick Gagnon (RIPC), Gestion de placements Manuvie
Patrick Garceau (RIS), Desjardins
Wayne Gaves (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Michael Giesbrecht (RIS), Envision Financial
Colleen Gillam-Judd (RIS), Servus Credit Union
Gianni Gimpoli (RIS), Sunlife
Nigel Goetz (RIS), Kindred Credit Union
Renee Green (RIS), Envision Financial
Matthew Nicholas Grosso (RIS), NEI Investments
Julie Guay (RIS), Services Fianciers Julie Guay
Diana Guzman (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Karlee Harder (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Jamie Hauck (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Heather Hunter (RIS), Valley First a division of First West Credit Union
Kathleen Hurtubise (RIS), Connect First Credit Union Ltd
Leo Kevin Iacono (RIS), Assante Financial Management Ltd.
Saqib Khan (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Jason King (RIS), Lawton Partners Wealth Management
Colleen Koop (RIS), Envision Financial
Tushar Kumar (RIS), RBC Dominion Securities
François Laberge (RIS), Services financiers François Laberge
Sandy Lachapelle (RIS), Lachapelle Finances intelligentes
Greg Laithwaite (RIS), Libro Credit Union
Réginald Landry (RIS), Azur – Cabinet de services financiers
Maude Lareau (RIS), Desjardins
Marie-Josée Lavoie (RIS), Desjardins
Sandy Sue LeBlanc (RIS), IA Groupe Financier
Morgan Leroy (RIS)
Jack Lessel (RIS), CU Financial Management
Jason Li (RIS), Credential Asset Management
Danic Lussier (RIS), SENS RL
Emily Mackay (RIS), BMO Global Asset Management
Robin Marshall (RIS), Island Savings Wealth Management
Christopher Matugas (RIS), Connect First Wealth
James McCormick (RIS), Valley First a division of First West Credit Union
Jeff McDaid (RIS), Agora Financial Services
Susanne McDuff (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Jonathan McGuire (RIPC), Horizons ETFs Management (Canada) Inc.
Karen McMillan (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Sheelah McNeill (RIS), IG Private Wealth Management
Melville Menezes (RIS)
Thibault Merklen (RIS)
Michelle Messner (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Richard Minuk (RIS), iA Clarington Investments
Nabila Mirza (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Diane Mondor (RIS), Desjardins
Cindy Nagassar (RIS)
Robert Nicholson (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Patricia O’Dell (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Depen Pandya (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Justin Paniak (RIS), Island Savings
Igor Parkhomchik (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Michelle Pedersen (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Elena Pencheva (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Amanda Penhorwood (RIS), YNCU
Steeve Queenton (RIS), R.E.G.A.R. Gestion Financière
Tasleem Querin (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Suketu Ramsnehi (RIS), Conexus Credit Union
Viktoriia Rassokha (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Jean-François Ratelle (RIS), Desjardins
Brahm Reinblatt (RIS), Reinblatt Financial
Chanceala Robak (RIS), Servus Credit Union
Mitchell Romano (RIS), Envision Financial, a division of First West Credit Union
Ann-Rebecca Savard (RIAC), MICA Cabinets de services financiers
Ramandeep Sekhon (RIS), Sun Life Financial
Joanne Shaw (RIS), Canfin Financial Group
Veronik Simard (RIS), Lafond groupe financier
Halvor Simonson (RIAC), IG Wealth Management
Riley Snell (RIS), Lawton Partners Wealth Management
Gilles Soulières (RIS), Planification Maluka inc
Daniel Stryker (RIS), Sun Life Financial
Mackenzie Stuart (RIS), Freedom 55 Financial
Jeff Stuart (RIS), We Listen Financial Planning Solutions Inc.
Pascale Theriault (RIS), Desjardins
Sheresse Thompson (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Mark Thompson (RIAC), RBC Dominion Securities Inc.
Jimmy To (RIS), Connect First Wealth
Karine Tremblay (RIS), Desjardins
Anthony Verret (RIS), Desjardins
Roy Vokes (RIS), Agora Financial Services
Lynn Whetham (RIS), Assante Capital Management Ltd
Janet White (RIS), Industrial Alliance Securities Inc.
June Zimmer (RIPC), NEI Investments

Data provided by Fundata shows that a large majority of Canadian RI funds outperformed their average asset class return in the third quarter of 2020, and over three-quarters of RI funds outperformed their average asset class return for the one-year period ending September 30, 2020.

Compared to their conventional fund peers, RI funds also performed well over the medium- to long-term periods reviewed in this report, highlighting the value of incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investment decisions. As of September 30, 2020, more than 80% of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return over the previous three years, while more than 75% outperformed their average asset class return over the previous five years. More than two-thirds of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return over the 10-year period ending September 30, 2020.

See the graphs below for a quick overview of notable RI fund performance in the third quarter of 2020. RIA Members can download the full report by logging in to their account and accessing Member Resources.

Average RI Fund vs. Average Asset Class Performance (%) to September 30, 2020

Note: Average asset class return includes RI and non-RI funds. For the purpose of this report, RI funds include those that are marketed as responsible investments and managed by RIA members, with RI strategies/policies disclosed in regulatory documents.

In the Global Equity fund class, nearly 70% of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return in the quarter, and over three-quarters of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return over the one-year period. A large majority of the RI funds in the category outperformed over the medium- to long- term periods reviewed in this report.In the Global Equity Balanced fund class, more than 78% of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return over the quarter and a similar proportion outperformed their average asset class return for the one- year period. A vast majority of the RI funds outperformed over the three-year, five-year and 10-year periods covered in this report.In the Canadian Equity Balanced fund class, all of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return in the third quarter of 2020, and a majority of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return over the one-year period. More than 80% of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return in the five-year and ten-year periods ending September 30, 2020.In the Canadian Fixed Income Balanced fund class, the vast majority of the RI funds outperformed their average asset class return over the three-month, one-year, three-year and five-year periods ending September 30, 2020.

Download Q3 2020 Highlights PDF.

RIA Members can download the full report by logging in to their account and accessing Member Resources.

Data provided by Fundata

 

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DISCLAIMER
The information contained in this report is for educational and general information purposes only. The information contained herein does not constitute advice nor does it constitute an offering of securities or any advertisement for the offering of securities. You should not act or rely on the information without seeking professional advice. While we believe the information to be reliable [and endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct], we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, timeliness, suitability or availability with respect to the report or the information, products, services or related graphics contained in the report for any purpose. The RIA does not endorse, recommend or guarantee any investment products listed in the report.

Majority of investors surveyed want their fund managers to engage with corporations to promote more diversity in leadership.

TORONTO – October 22, 2020 – The vast majority of Canadian retail investors want to see more diversity and inclusion in their investment portfolios, according to a new survey from the Responsible Investment Association (RIA). 

The 2020 RIA Investor Opinion Survey, which is based on an Ipsos poll of 1,000 individual investors in Canada, found that 73% of respondents would like a portion of their portfolio to be invested in organizations providing opportunities for the advancement of women and diverse groups, and 72% want their fund manager to engage with Canadian corporations to encourage more diversity in leadership. 

In addition, the survey found that 89% of respondents believe it is important for Canadian companies to create inclusive workplaces that are free of discrimination, while 85% said Canadian companies should provide more leadership opportunities to qualified women and people of diverse backgrounds. 

The survey, sponsored by AGF Investments Inc. and Desjardins Group, also shows 75% of respondents would like their financial services provider to inform them about responsible investment (RI) options. However, only 28% of respondents have been asked by their provider if they are interested in RI. This gap is consistent with previous years’ findings.

“The market has spoken and, unsurprisingly, Canadian investors want corporate leadership to reflect the diversity that defines Canadian society,” said Dustyn Lanz, CEO of the RIA. “The survey results provide a market signal for investment managers to increase their stewardship efforts around diversity and inclusion. They also show there is a huge opportunity for financial advisors to be more engaged with their clients around responsible investment,” said Lanz. 

“The findings of this year’s survey indicate that Canadians are ready for change and now is the time to take action and advance conversations around diversity and inclusion,” said Judy Goldring, President and Head of Global Distribution, AGF Management Limited. “At AGF, we want to be part of this positive change and are continually examining our practices and providing forums for dialogue to ensure we are living daily our commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

“With the largest suite of RI solutions in Canada, Desjardins is proud to partner with the Responsible Investment Association to present these survey results that show the growing interest of Canadians towards financial products promoting diversity and inclusion,” explains Éric Landry, Vice-President, Investment Solutions at Desjardins. “We have indeed noticed over the last 30 years how our members and clients value the integration of environmental, social and governance issues in their investments.”

Highlights:

• 89% of respondents believe it is important that Canadian companies create inclusive workplaces that are free of discrimination.
• 85% say Canadian companies should provide more leadership opportunities to qualified women and people of diverse backgrounds; 76% say they should set goals for more diversity in leadership.
• 72% want their fund manager to engage Canadian corporations to encourage more diversity in leadership, and 66% would want them to take action if a company was known to have a culture of discrimination.
• 73% would like a portion of their portfolio to be invested in organizations providing opportunities for the advancement of women and diverse groups.
• While 75% of respondents agreed they would like their financial services provider to inform them about responsible investments that are aligned with their values, only 28% have been asked about RI options.
• 83% of the 18-34 age group are interested in RI and 50% reported they currently own responsible investments. This stands in contrast to 59% of respondents aged 55+ being interested in RI and 20% owning RI.
• Nearly half (45%) of respondents said they are more likely to choose RI than they were a year ago. This percentage jumps to 59% of the 18-34 age group, 51% of university graduates and 58% of households with kids. These figures may be attributable to the pandemic and racial injustice reckoning of 2020, which have led to a greater focus on societal challenges.

View the full report here.

The 2020 RIA Investor Opinion Survey complements the RIA’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Week, a week of dialogues and education for investment professionals to advance diversity and inclusion in their organizations and their portfolios, hosted from October 26-30th. The week will kick off with a keynote speech from Wes Hall, Executive Chairman of Kingsdale Advisors and Founder of the BlackNorth Initiative. The closing sessions on Friday, October 30th will feature English and French presentations of the survey’s findings. Those interested in the Friday sessions can register for free here.

About the Responsible Investment Association

The Responsible Investment Association (RIA) is Canada’s industry association for responsible investment. The RIA’s membership includes asset managers, asset owners, advisors, and service providers who support its mandate of promoting responsible investment in Canada’s retail and institutional markets. Learn more at www.riacanada.ca.

Media Contacts

Nick Buccheri
Director, Operations
Responsible Investment Association
+1 416-461-6042

In recent months, we have seen a tremendous amount of action in support of diversity and inclusion (D&I) in Canada’s investment industry. Just in October, for instance, Institutional investors managing over $2.3 trillion in assets have signed the Canadian Investor Statement on Diversity & Inclusion and Canada’s investment industry is preparing for its inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Week.

Despite these major industry developments and others, many investment professionals support D&I on a personal level, but some don’t yet recognize its importance from an investment perspective. In his latest column for Investment Executive, RIA CEO Dustyn Lanz shares 4 concrete reasons why D&I is important for investment management.

1. D + I = more talent
2. Diversity boosts innovation & resilience
3. Diverse & inclusive firms tend to outperform financially
4. Investors want D&I in their portfolios

Read the full article.

TORONTO, October 1, 2020 –  Institutional investors managing more than $2.3 trillion in assets have signed the new Canadian Investor Statement on Diversity & Inclusion, an initiative coordinated by the Responsible Investment Association (RIA).

Signatories to the statement, which include some of the largest institutional investors in the country, acknowledge the existence of systemic racism and its impacts on Black and Indigenous communities and People of Colour, while further acknowledging the existence of inequities and discrimination based on other factors including, but not limited to, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, culture and socio-economic status.

The joint statement declares, “We all have a responsibility to ensure that the persistent inequities in business and our society are eliminated. As institutional investors, we can contribute to addressing these inequities in Canada by taking intentional steps to promote diversity and inclusion across our portfolios and within our organizations.”

The signatories will take steps to integrate diversity & inclusion (D&I) into their investment processes, for example by monitoring the D&I practices of Canadian public companies and conveying their expectations of improved D&I disclosures. The investors collectively state that they expect Canadian public companies to aim for the adoption of policies, targets and timelines to improve diversity on boards and in senior management, with the ultimate goal of being aligned with the racial and ethnic demography of Canada.

The signatories will also take concrete steps to strengthen D&I practices within their own institutions, such as providing training to foster inclusive cultures, collecting data to identify and address any barriers to the advancement of underrepresented groups, and seeking out underrepresented voices to inform D&I activities. The signatories commit to reporting on their efforts to promote D&I, and to reviewing and updating their practices as they learn from experience.

“Acknowledging the existence of systemic racism is a recognition that we have a lot of work to do to level the playing field in business and society,” said Dustyn Lanz, CEO of the RIA. “These investors are stepping up to do the work because it’s the right thing to do, and because there’s a strong business case for doing so,” said Lanz, pointing to a McKinsey study which found that more diverse companies tend to be more profitable.

The full statement is available online here. A list of institutional investor signatories is provided below. Institutional investors can become a signatory by completing this form.

The RIA would like to thank Michela Gregory, Laura McGee, Shannin Metatawabin, Alison Schneider, and Rosa van den Beemt for contributing to the development of the statement.

To complement the investor statement, the RIA is also hosting Diversity & Inclusion Week from October 26-30th – a week of dialogues and education for investment professionals to advance diversity and inclusion in their organizations and their portfolios. The week will kick off with a keynote speech from Wes Hall, Executive Chairman of Kingsdale Advisors and Founder of the BlackNorth Initiative.

MEDIA QUOTES:

• “The impacts of systemic racism and discrimination in our workplaces and society at large have long been felt by Black and Indigenous communities, and People of Colour. At BMO GAM, we work to recognize the value of D&I both internally and externally through measures including comprehensive diversity goals and active engagement with our Canadian holdings. We are encouraged by the collective efforts of the Canadian investor community to advance this critical issue.” – Kristi Mitchem, CEO, BMO Global Asset Management
• “As long-term investors, we have an important role to play in engaging our portfolio companies towards best practices in terms of diversity. It has been shown that diversity is a lever for improving performance, which is why CDPQ has positioned diversity and inclusion as a pillar of its sustainable investment strategy. Moreover, we understand how inclusion is closely related to equal opportunity and social justice. Therefore, we encourage our peers to make this subject a priority.” – Kim Thomassin, Executive Vice-President and Head of Investments in Québec and Stewardship Investing, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ)
• “The efforts of the Responsible Investment Association are exactly the type of concrete actions that CCDI has been waiting to see. In order to affect the change to become anti-racist employers, we don’t need statements of support; we need tangible actions which can be measured that will ultimately hold companies to account.” – Michael Bach, Founder & CEO, Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion (CCDI)
• “CAUFP applauds RIA and the institutional investors who have committed to integrating diversity & inclusion as part of their investment processes. By monitoring the D&I practices of public companies and by conveying expectations for improved D&I disclosures, we can ensure that companies are encouraged to take the steps that are required to end systemic racism and create a corporate landscape that’s equitable for Canadians of all backgrounds.” – Meryl Afrika, President, Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals (CAUFP)
• “Dismantling systemic racism, discrimination and barriers to senior roles for Black, Indigenous and people of colour demands action. Representation matters and institutional investors should reflect the diversity of the markets in which we invest. We can influence and create transformation by defining quantifiable measures today and over the long term. OPTrust is committed to putting in the work and holding ourselves accountable to realize greater equity.” – Peter Lindley, President and CEO of OPTrust
• “Accelerating progress on diversity and inclusion within our organizations and investment portfolios requires a purposeful and collective effort on behalf of many investors. Together, we can build a more inclusive business and investment landscape in Canada.” – Kevin Uebelein, Chief Executive Officer, Alberta Investment Management Corporation

LIST OF INVESTOR SIGNATORIES

Founding Signatories are noted with an asterisk (*)

Addenda Capital*
AGF Investments*
Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo)*
Bâtirente
BMO Global Asset Management
British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI)
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ)*
Canada Post Corporation Pension Plan
Central 1 Credit Union
CIBC Asset Management
Connor, Clark & Lunn Investment Management
Deetken Impact
Desjardins Group*
ELFEC
Gestion FÉRIQUE
Global Alpha Capital Management
IG Wealth Management
Jarislowsky Fraser Global Investment Management
Mackenzie Investments*
MD Financial Management Inc.
Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc.
NEI Investments*
OPSEU Pension Trust (OPTrust)*
PCJ Investment Counsel
Rally Assets Inc.
RBC Global Asset Management Inc.
Scheer, Rowlett & Associates Investment Management Ltd.
SEI Investments
Simon Fraser University
The United Church of Canada
University of Toronto Asset Management (UTAM)*

More Supporting Organizations can be found on the RIA’s website here.

ABOUT THE RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT ASSOCIATION

The Responsible Investment Association (RIA) is Canada’s industry association for responsible investment. The RIA’s membership includes asset managers, asset owners, advisors, and service providers who support its mandate of promoting responsible investment in Canada’s retail and institutional markets. Learn more at www.riacanada.ca.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Nick Buccheri
Director of Operations, Responsible Investment Association
+1 416-461-6042