We’re pleased to announce the release of UTAM’s third annual Responsible Investing Report. Titled “A Closer Look,” the report explains how we consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in our investment analysis and decision-making processes as we manage the University of Toronto’s Endowment, Pension and short-term working capital assets.

New additions to this year’s report include a case study featuring one of our investment managers, a detailed analysis of our proxy voting activities, and a timeline of our responsible investing journey.

In 2018, we continued to deepen our expertise and enhance our approach to responsible investing. We built on our existing commitments to this important global initiative while seeking new opportunities to promote collaboration among like-minded institutional investors. We’ve taken on leadership roles in various responsible investment organizations, and we continued to actively participate in discussions to identify and shape best practices.

This past year, we received the results from our first assessment by the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI), and we were pleased with the results: four A+ marks and one A. We contributed to the discussion on climate change by publishing our first Carbon Footprint Report, which measured the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the public equity investments within the Pension and Endowment portfolios. We also added our voice to national and international initiatives that align with our goals, and we joined organizations that seek to effect positive change, including 30% Club Canada, the Intentional Endowments Network (IEN) and the Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI). We’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the last few years, and we will continue to evolve and enhance our processes in the future.

“We’re committed to responsible investing because we believe that material ESG factors can affect investment returns,” says Daren Smith, UTAM’s President and Chief Investment Officer. “We’re confident that our ESG integration approach leads to better decision-making and superior results over the long term.”

Download the 2018 Responsible Investing Report