Investing With Social Purpose
The era of responsible investment and impact investment has arrived. What investors need to know to thrive in these new markets
Long viewed as niche activities, responsible investment and impact investment are now being championed by a growing number of leading institutions in the capital marketplace. The 2017 Global Impact Investing survey of 208 asset managers reported US$114 billion under management; in Canada, around $1.5-trillion in assets are under some form of responsible investment strategy. On the impact investing front, there are more than 200 investment products to choose from, mostly private debt and private equity. As a result, retail or institutional investors can now align their financial returns with their values and make a positive impact on the world.
(Responsible investment is the integration of environmental, social and governance factors (ESG) into the selection and management of investments; it encompasses many forms such as green investing and ethical investing. Impact Investment is defined as investments made into companies, organizations, and funds with the intention to generate a measurable, beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return.)
This webinar provides an exceptional opportunity to better understand the landscape of responsible investment in general and Canadian impact investment products in particular.
The session leaders will explore growth sectors such as the rise in green bonds, and outline opportunities and ethical considerations to consider for retail and institutional investors. They will introduce a new platform called Open Impact that provides current listings of impact investing products available on the marketplace.
In this 60-minute session, participants will learn about:
- The ecosystem that supports responsible investing and impact investing
- The environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues shaping investment decisions
- The risks to factor in and returns that can be expected
- How to make use of the Open Impact investment platform
Session Participants
Joanna Reynolds
Joanna is Associate Director of the Centre for Social Impact, Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. Over the past decade, Joanna has worked alongside students, faculty, community groups, foundations, entrepreneurs, and business leaders to advance the application of social finance, social innovation, and social enterprise. Prior to joining Smith, Joanna was the Director of Social Enterprise with the Centre for Social Innovation and a founding team member of the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing (2011-2015). Joanna curated Canada's Social Finance Forum from 2008 to 2015 and is co-author of the State of the Nation: Impact Investing in Canada report (2014).
Lars Boggild
Lars is Director of Client Services for Purpose Capital in Toronto. He leads engagements with asset owners and institutions looking to mobilize their resources for greater impact. His work includes developing impact investments with clients, conducting market and product research, and supporting the creation of tools and procedures to support impact investing programs. Lars is often engaged as an advisor on social finance topics across sectors, and has worked with organizations such as the Province of Ontario, the House of Commons, and the Institute for Public Administration of Canada. His writing has appeared in the Stanford Social Innovation Review among other publications.
Rosalie Vendette
Rosalie is Senior Advisor, Socially Responsible Investing, for Desjardins Group Wealth Management, developing and implementing SRI strategies. She has worked in socially responsible investing for more than 13 years. Rosalie is also active within a number of organizations related to her field of expertise. Notably, she is involved in the Québec PRI Network and chairs its events committee. She is also a member of Finance Montreal’s Working Group on Responsible Investment. She was a member of the Canadian National Advisory Board of the G8 Taskforce on Social Impact Investing and a member of the board of directors of the Social Investment Organization in 2008-2009 and 2012-2013.