Capital Allocation and Transition Finance
Seizing the market opportunity in the global energy transition
This panel, including some of Canada’s leading investors, examined the impact of recent political and economic turbulence on sustainable investing, and discussed where the smart money is going toward climate action.
Understanding Voluntary Carbon Markets, Part 3
The final report in this series from ISF, CPA Canada and IFAC is based on in-depth interviews with key actors, including buyers, project developers, crediting programs and verification bodies — spanning the carbon credit value chain. These perspectives inform efforts to ensure quality credits and market integrity.
The Transition Finance Playbook: A practical guide for financial institutions
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, supporting real-world emissions reductions and aligning with their fiduciary duties to create long-term value for beneficiaries and clients.
Are investors liking corporate Canada’s ESG Tweets?
ISF research shows that more companies, particularly high-emitters, are taking to social media to promote positive news about their ESG performance. However, the most active posters of ESG messaging are not seeing the favourable cost of capital usually associated with strong ESG performance.
Understanding Voluntary Carbon Markets, Part 2
The second report in a three-part series from ISF, CPA Canada and the International Federation of Accountants analyzes the use of voluntary carbon credits by corporate buyers, focusing on Canadian practices and global comparisons.
Canadian Sustainable Bond Market Report
This report analyses market trends, issuer profiles, and allocation of proceeds from sustainable bonds over a 10-year period. It also examines the challenges of green/transition-washing and proposes important policy recommendations to catalyze further market development.
Experts
Yrjö Koskinen
Director of Research, Institute for Sustainable Finance
Alison Taylor
ISF Research Fellow; Assistant Professor of Finance at Smith School of Business, Queen’s University
Paul Calluzzo
Associate Professor & Toller Family Fellow of Finance, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University
Kenneth S. Corts
ISF Research Fellow; Professor, Economic Analysis and Policy and Marcel Desautels Chair in Entrepreneurship, Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto
Fabio Moneta
ISF Research Fellow; Professor of Finance, Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa
Yingzhi Tang
Senior Research Associate, Institute for Sustainable Finance
Understanding Voluntary Carbon Markets, Part 1
To better inform the heated debate over carbon markets, it is necessary to improve our understanding about how VCMs function, and how to critically assess the quality of a carbon credit. A new study, the first in a series by the Institute for Sustainable Finance, CPA Canada and the International Federation of Accountants, provides a crucial resource for existing and potential market participants.
Transition Finance
Transition finance enables capital to flow towards decarbonizing high-emitting sectors such as heavy industry and manufacturing, which are otherwise excluded in the mainstream green finance market. Despite growing regulator- and market-led efforts across the globe, it remains a common challenge to define credible transition investments.
Capital Mobilization Plan
This landmark research report provided a concrete, data-driven capital blueprint for Canada’s low-carbon transition. The Capital Mobilization Plan highlights that cooperation between the public sector, private sector, and financial system is critical to securing investments needed to meet Canada’s 2030 climate targets.