Eighty per cent of Canadian investors are concerned about climate change, says a new survey from the Responsible Investment Association (RIA).
The 2018 RIA Investor Opinion Survey, based on an Ipsos poll of 800 individual investors in Canada, also found that most investors view climate change as a financial issue with 70% of respondents saying they believe that climate change will have negative financial impacts on companies in some industries within the next five years, and 79% believing this will be true within twenty years.
Investment opportunity
The survey, sponsored by AGF Management Limited (AGF), also showed that 66% of investors would like a portion of their portfolio to be invested in companies that are providing solutions to climate change and other environmental challenges.
The investors surveyed indicated that they want their financial services providers to practice responsible investing: 86% of respondents agreed that financial advisors and institutions should be knowledgeable about how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks could affect their investments, and 81% would like their financial services provider to inform them about responsible investments that are aligned with their values.
“Canadian investors understand climate change presents financial risks, and they want to invest in responsible solutions. This highlights a very compelling opportunity for investment professionals,” said Dustyn Lanz, CEO of the Responsible Investment Association.
Better outcomes
“We believe that integrating consideration of ESG factors into our investment decision-making and ownership practices will contribute to better investment outcomes for our clients – and this is true across all of our investment management teams,” said Kevin McCreadie, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, AGF.
