Shaping the future of sustainable finance
Subscribe to our NewsletterThe Institute for Sustainable Finance is a multi-disciplinary network of research and professional development that brings together academia, the private sector, and government to shape Canada’s innovations in sustainable finance.
ISF Research Fellows Program
Bridging the gap between the finance sector and academia
The ISF Research Fellows Program exists to foster collaboration between leading academics and industry experts. ISF’s Research Fellows generate practical, real-world solutions to achieve sustainable economic growth, influence global finance, and ensure that financial institutions are prepared for the challenges and opportunities of a low-carbon future.
Understanding Voluntary Carbon Markets, Part 3
The final report in this series is based on in-depth interviews with key actors spanning the carbon credit value chain. These perspectives inform efforts to ensure quality credits and market integrity.
The Transition Finance Playbook
ISF and Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) collaborated with some of Canada’s largest asset managers to develop a practical guide for financial institutions to scale up transition finance.
Toxic Assets: Divestment of Polluting Firms’ Bonds by Institutional Investors
Pollution can cause serious harm to the environment and human health and risk for investors. A new Working Paper finds institutional investors divest polluters’ corporate bonds following significant toxic release events.
What is Sustainable Finance?
The Canadian Expert Panel on Sustainable Finance defines it as: capital flows, risk management activities, and financial processes that assimilate environmental and social factors as a means of promoting sustainable economic growth and the long-term sustainability of the financial system.
In its simplest form, this means aligning our financial systems and services to promote long-term environmental sustainability and economic prosperity. Learn more about Sustainable Finance through our Primer Series.
Ryan Riordan, Distinguished Professor of Finance at Smith School of Business and director of research at the Institute for Sustainable Finance explains sustainable finance.
Newsblog
July 8, 2025
New ISF Primer Article: Double Materiality
Environmental and social factors are increasingly viewed as financially material to corporate performance, and the principle of materiality is now often invoked to justify disclosing key sustainability indicators. More recently, the concept of “double materiality” has been introduced, asserting that firms must recognize not only how environmental and social factors affect their profitability but also how their operations impact people and the environment. Learn more and explore the issues with ISF’s latest Primer.
July 7, 2025
Patient capital is abandoning polluters: Smith Business Insight
Looking beyond the headlines, a working paper from the Institute for Sustainable Finance offers a cause-and-effect picture of how institutional investors treat polluting companies in their portfolios. Specifically, it asks: How do big bond investors behave in the aftermath of significant pollution events?