The 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.
Learn sustainable investing strategies that are transforming finance.
This program will provide the key components and considerations for sustainable investing and ESG assessment, including deeper dives into integrating ESG into securities selection and portfolio management processes, and best practices for stewardship and engagement.
As a Knowledge Partner for the Sustainable Finance Action Council’s taxonomy work, the ISF has created resources for understanding sustainable finance taxonomies and their development, and the importance of a Transition and Green Taxonomy for Canada.
A new briefing note from the ISF clarifies the challenge of financing adaptation and resilience infrastructure to protect Canadians from the effects of climate change, and proposes a plan to find the solutions.
A new ISF study takes a close look at the state of climate-related risk disclosures by Canadian firms and finds they are often lacking in terms of quantity and quality.
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.
The past year has been a time of growth and change for the Institute for Sustainable Finance.
From opening the TSX to attending COP26, we have been where the action is, helping mobilize capital to fight climate change. Our hard-hitting research has informed decision makers in finance, industry and public policy. We captured the attention of the media, and led a lively discussion on social media. And we have contributed significantly to making sustainability a mainstream issue that investors and firms must pay attention to.
We hope you enjoy this video tribute to the many accomplishments of our great team. For more on ISF’s activities and accomplishments, check out our latest Progress and Impact Report.
March 28, 2023
Les coûts des phénomènes météorologiques liés au climat, tels que les feux et les inondations, augmentent au Canada et dans le monde entier. Cependant, alors que le financement de l’atténuation du changement climatique (réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre) a été une priorité au Canada, l’adaptation (aider les communautés à résister aux événements qui se produisent déjà) est moins développée. Alors que les avantages économiques sont énormes en termes de coûts et de dommages évités, le retour sur les investissements du secteur privé dans les infrastructures d’adaptation et de résilience n’est pas évident. La note d’information de l’IFD rédigée, désormais disponible en français, clarifie ce défi, aide à définir le problème de l’adaptation et de la résilience, et propose des étapes pour faciliter et mettre en œuvre des solutions potentielles.
March 27, 2023
The recent Taxonomy Roadmap Report released by the Sustainable Finance Action Council introduces a framework for developing a green and transition taxonomy to unlock billions in climate investments in Canada. Any future Canadian transition taxonomy should incorporate emerging best practices in both taxonomy design and approaches to defining transition concepts, according to a 2022 report commissioned by CSA Group and authored by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI). The report, which outlines findings from a comparative review of existing taxonomies, highlights the importance of establishing a credible transition definition to support Canada’s low-carbon transition, and finds that a Canadian transition taxonomy, if developed, would help to inform further work to develop transition-oriented approaches around the world.