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.
Sustainable Investing - Virtual Program
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.
Understanding Voluntary Carbon Markets, Part 2
Who’s buying carbon offsets, and why? And what kinds of projects are they supporting? A new study analyses Canadian and global corporate buyers’ use of voluntary carbon credits and implications for financial accounting and sustainability disclosures.
Canadian sustainable bond market report
A new ISF study examines a decade of issuances of some of the most important instruments for financing positive environmental and social outcomes, and prospects for the future of sustainable investing.
The Wealth of Wetlands
Canada’s vast tracts of nature are a valuable asset that has not been properly accounted for. A new ISF report finds that wetlands contribute roughly $225-billion in value to the Canadian economy each year.
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
November 14, 2024
New report: How Canadian firms are using voluntary carbon credits
Carbon offsets are a hot topic at the COP29 climate conference underway in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Voluntary Carbon Market has significant potential to spur further investments in climate solutions but has been hindered by concerns over low-quality credits, double counting, and overstated greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Canadians may be asking, who is buying carbon offsets? And why? And what kinds of projects are they supporting?
October 23, 2024
Webinar, Nov. 13: Climate science for business decision-making
This upcoming webinar, co-hosted by ISF and the CPA Centre for Corporate Reporting & Professionalism will explore how research from the climate sciences, engineering and economics can be translated for financial decision makers grappling with net zero planning and the uncertainties of climate change. Tanya Fiedler Scientia Fellow the University of New South Wales, joins us in conversation with Meigan Terry, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability, Social Impact and Communications Officer, at Scotiabank.