Getting to know our winners
From a pool of sixty proposals, eleven candidates emerged as finalists and seven managers were chosen to win The Great Canadian ESG Championship.
Category 1:
AlphaFixe
“While we are very proud of the rigorous ESG methodologies that we have developed over the past 10 years, the next decade will bring more innovation to meet the growing needs of clients. The key to success lies in collaboration among ecosystem stakeholders, including our co-investors in the Great Canadian ESG Championship, with whom we will continue to play a leadership role.”
AlphaFixe team
Schroders
“ ‘Corporate karma’, is the way we refer to the symbiotic relationship between a company and its stakeholders, and it shows that investing in sustainability can deliver higher growth and returns through innovation, higher operational efficiency and better risk management. We are delighted to participate in such a forward-looking tender process, that recognizes the growing importance of sustainability in our industry and society at large.”
Katherine Davidson
Portfolio Manager and Sustainability Specialist
Manulife
“Manulife Investment Management was delighted to participate in the Great Canadian ESG Championship, an innovative event we expect will have ripple effects in the investment industry in Canada. Sustainability is core to our approach and our clients’ needs in this area are expanding as they seek to align financial returns while having a positive impact to the world’s systematic sustainability challenges. We are delighted to be able to support our clients, such as with our Global Climate strategy, which seeks to align with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement by a robust climate leader investment framework and active stewardship.”
Patrick Blais, Sr. Portfolio Manager & Head of the Fundamental Equity Team
Peter Mennie, Chief Sustainable Investment Officer (Public Markets)
Manulife Investment Management
Category 2:
UBS Asset Management
“UBS AM Canada is delighted to participate in the ESG Championship. UBS was one of the first to offer sustainable strategies – launching our first equities SRI fund in 1997 – and we strive to remain at the vanguard by continually innovating with new ESG strategies across asset classes. The Global Responsible Infrastructure Fund (GRIF) was specifically designed for Canadian institutions wishing to invest in infrastructure with a strong ESG focus.”
Dan Primeau
Head of Client Coverage, Canada
Category 3:
Jarislowsky Fraser
“Jarislowsky Fraser is very pleased to take part in the Great Canadian ESG Championship, which we believe will showcase innovative sustainable finance capabilities in Canada. Our firm’s longstanding commitment to being responsible stewards of our clients’ assets is at the core of our approach that embeds ESG analysis and engagement into our investment process and decisions. We hope to demonstrate solutions that reflect rigor, discipline, expertise and transparency, along with the benefit of engagement, impact and direct exposure to innovation through our Climate and Diversity & Inclusion proprietary frameworks.”
Maxime Ménard
President and CEO, Jarislowsky, Fraser Limited
Rally Assets
“We were so pleased to be a part of the Great Canadian ESG Championship and demonstrate how our impact investing approach delivers measurable positive impact on the world alongside investment returns. Our innovative products challenge the ESG paradigm to go beyond risk minimization, seeking true systems change. The ultimate winner of this Championship is our wider society, through more capital focused on better social and environmental outcomes.”
Kelly Gauthier
President, Rally Assets
PH&N Institutional
“We are honoured to have been selected by these mission-led asset owners to manage a portion of their investment mandate based on the merits of our approach to responsible investment. A key pillar of our investment process is being an active, engaged and responsible investor. Ultimately, we believe this approach serves to enhance the long-term, risk-adjusted performance of our portfolios. PH&N Institutional’s accomplishment at the Great Canadian ESG Championship reflects our firm’s commitment to responsible investment and our ability to leverage the strength of our investment teams to provide thoughtful offerings for clients that meet a wide range of objectives.”
Melanie Adams
Vice president and head, Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment
RBC Global Asset Management
BeeQuest
Honourable mention: customizable responsible investment approach aligned with the investor’s values and objectives
Clear Skies
Honourable mention: ESG investment themes that take into consideration systemic ESG issues and 5 themes mapped to the UN SDGs
Forum Equity Partners
Honourable mention: Very advanced Impact Outcomes Report aligned with the Impact Management Project (IMP) and the Sustainable Development Goals with clear targets, actions, and results
Genus Fossil Free High Impact Equity Fund
Honourable mention: requires that at least 50% of revenue be derived from one of the UN SDGs
HoneyTree
Honourable mention: level of ESG integration and ESG activities is remarkable relative to the size of the firm; ESG is well-embedded in the process
Nordis Capital
Honourable mention: the only strategy proposed that has a long/short strategy aligned with ESG systemic risks and megatrends
Rally Assets
Audience choice
Co-investors
In-kind sponsor
Partners
