Responsible investment
The Foundation believes taking ESG factors into consideration is expected to have a positive effect on long-term financial performance and risk-adjusted investment returns.
The Foundation began actively integrating Responsible Investing and ESG into its investment decision making process in 2012. The Foundation regularly revisits its investment strategy to reflect these ESG principles. In 2021, the Foundation released a new Responsible Investment Policy to consider the opportunity and risk that climate change presents and focuses on decarbonisation across all investments and sectors.
Key elements of the policy include:
- carbon footprinting – progress on achieving targets will be reported annually with review of the target at least once every five years;
- ongoing engagement – continued participation in investor coalitions and collaborations to enhance ESG standards and disclosure requirements by joining the University Network for Investor Engagement (UNIE) and supporting the Task Force For Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD);
- continued selection of investment managers committed to climate change who actively, often through proxy voting, engage with companies to drive down emissions and increase disclosure; and
- increase impact investing – continued financing of sustainable projects like the new student housing and dining project which meets (LEED) V4 and passive house standards – the most rigorous global building standards for sustainability and energy efficiency.
Download the responsible investment policy (PDF)
University of Victoria Foundation Responsible Investment Milestones
- 2012 Adopted Responsible Investing Beliefs
- 2015 Become a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investing
- 2015 Signed letter to G7 Ministers urging for climate action
- 2016 Introduced the Fossil Fuel Free Investment Fund for donors
- 2018 Committed to finance the university's new residence construction, which meets Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Passive House Standards
- 2019 Improved awareness of the Fossil Fuel Free Fund
- 2019 Improved disclosure by providing examples on how our investment managers' ESG integration on our website
- 2020 Updated investment beliefs to recognize climate change as a key issue of our time
- 2020 Committed to review UVic's decarbonisation approach and target
- 2021 Adopted a new Responsible Investment Policy to reflect the Foundation’s commitment to be a leader in Responsible Investment, including responding to climate change
- 2021 Committed to collective engagement on climate issues though the University Network for Investor Engagement (UNE)
- 2022 Announced a $25 million impact investment in Brookfield's Global Transition Fund
- 2022 Responsible Investment Report with progress updates on decarbonisation target and impact investments
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