Institute for Sustainable Finance awarded major McConnell Foundation grant
Posted on July 29, 2020
Funding will support Canada’s equitable transition to a net zero carbon economy
Kingston, Ont. – The Institute for Sustainable Finance (ISF) today announced additional funding from Canada’s McConnell Foundation in support of its mandate to implement sustainable finance approaches that will enable the country to thrive through a low-carbon transition.
Launched in November 2019, the ISF seeks to align mainstream financial markets with Canada’s transition to a prosperous sustainable economy through sustainable finance education programs, research and support for collaboration among governments.
The grant of $450,000 over three years is in addition to $150,000 in funding already committed to ISF by the McConnell Foundation. This funding will support the ISF in pursuing its research, educational and collaboration objectives.
“We are thrilled to have the continuing support of the McConnell Foundation,” says ISF executive director, Sean Cleary, BMO Professor of Finance and Founding Director of the Master of Finance program at Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. “Funding is key to help the ISF as Canada addresses one of the greatest economic transitions in history.”
“The Trustees of the McConnell Foundation recently approved several new grants in support of work that advances an equitable transition to a net zero carbon economy,” says Stephen Huddart, President and CEO of the McConnell Foundation. “The ISF, with its mandate to support sustainable finance education, research and collaboration, aligns with McConnell’s mission. The Capital Mobilization Plan and Climate Finance Data Analytics Lab represent two examples of ISF’s important initiatives that will accelerate our progress towards a low carbon economy.”
As part of its mandate, the ISF established the Canadian Sustainable Finance Network (CSFN), an independent formal research and educational network for academia, industry and government to bring together a talented network of university faculty members and relevant members from industry, government and civil society. Since its inception the CSFN has grown to include 65 members from over 20 universities across Canada, and also hosts a monthly webinar series, open to the public, on topics related to sustainable finance.
The Institute for Sustainable Finance is based at Smith School of Business, Queen’s University and is supported by the Ivey Foundation, the McCall MacBain Foundation, the Chisholm Thompson Family Foundation, as well as the McConnell Foundation.
To learn more about the Institute for Sustainable Finance, please visit: isfcanada.org.
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For media inquiries:
Kristen Sears
Smith School of Business
613.888.1105 / k.sears@queensu.ca