A report from the Responsible Investment Association (RIA) and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) says that responsible investing (RI) is experiencing rapid growth, and suggests that 31% of assets under management in Canada now involve some aspect of RI.

Between the beginning of 2012 and the end of 2013, the report says assets in Canada that are managed according to one or more RI strategies rose from $600 billion to more than $1 trillion. Mutual fund assets that are invested responsibly have also increased since 2012, up by 52.3% compared to the 29.8% gain posted by non-RI mutual funds.

The study also examines "impact investing", the practice of investing funds in such a way as to solve social or environmental problems as well as to generate financial returns. According to the survey, impact investment assets in Canada now stand at $4.13 billion, an increase of 9.5% since 2012.

"A growing number of individual and institutional investors are making investment decisions seeking to reduce risk, enhance returns and have a positive impact on the environmental, social and economic systems in our society," says Deb Abbey, CEO of the RIA.