| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 46.21 |
| Liaison | Chris Gardner |
| Submission Date | Aug. 23, 2022 |
Douglas College
PA-10: Sustainable Investment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 3.00 |
Vivian
Lee Director Finance |
Total value of the investment pool:
Value of holdings in each of the following categories:
| Value of holdings | |
| Sustainable industries (e.g., renewable energy or sustainable forestry) | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Businesses selected for exemplary sustainability performance (e.g., using criteria specified in a sustainable investment policy) | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Sustainability investment funds (e.g., a renewable energy or impact investment fund) | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Community development financial institutions (CDFIs) or the equivalent | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Socially responsible mutual funds with positive screens (or the equivalent) | 0 US/Canadian $ |
| Green revolving funds funded from the endowment | 0 US/Canadian $ |
A brief description of the companies, funds, and/or institutions referenced above:
Percentage of the institution's investment pool in positive sustainability investments:
Does the institution have a publicly available sustainable investment policy?:
A copy of the sustainable investment policy:
The sustainable investment policy:
Does the institution use its sustainable investment policy to select and guide investment managers?:
A brief description of how the sustainable investment policy is applied:
The College seeks to minimize the risk exposure of the portfolio by maintaining a well-diversified portfolio that integrates environmental, social and governance factors into investment decisions. ESG Integration is a holistic approach where ESG factors are assessed alongside traditional financial factors in the evaluation of risk and return. To further mitigate the investment risk associated with companies with poor ESG performance, the College has a negative screen, where any holdings that are rated below “BB” by MSCI ESG Ratings are excluded from the portfolio. The threshold of “BB” was established as this is what MSCI uses in the creation of many of their ESG-oriented benchmarks.
Has the institution engaged in proxy voting, either by its CIR or other committee or through the use of guidelines, to promote sustainability during the previous three years?:
A copy of the proxy voting guidelines or proxy record:
A brief description of how managers are adhering to proxy voting guidelines:
Douglas College guidelines don’t explicitly mention sustainability criteria, because the proxy proposals we see when it comes to environmental and social issues are very diverse making it difficult to come up with a hard guideline. Our voting activity does look to promote better disclosure and policies on ESG practices where needed. Another way that we promote sustainability is through our engagements with companies. LW is also a founding participant of Climate Engagement Canada which is an opportunity for Canada’s leading asset managers to develop a national collaborative engagement platform to drive stronger climate consciousness and governance practices in our country. This initiative provides Canada’s asset managers a platform to better assess the climate-related opportunities and risks facing domestic companies and to set out consistent engagement priorities accordingly.
Has the institution filed or co-filed one or more shareholder resolutions that address sustainability or submitted one or more letters about social or environmental responsibility to a company in which it holds investments during the previous three years?:
Examples of how the institution has engaged with corporations in its portfolio about sustainability issues during the previous three years:
Does the institution participate in a public divestment effort and/or have a publicly available investment policy with negative screens?:
A brief description of the divestment effort or negative screens and how they have been implemented:
Douglas College has not participated in any public divestment campaigns; however, the College’s MSCI ESG ratings screen has resulted in divesting from several holdings in the College's portfolio.
Approximate percentage of endowment that the divestment effort and/or negative screens apply to:
Does the institution engage in policy advocacy by participating in investor networks and/or engage in inter-organizational collaborations to share best practices?:
A brief description of the investor networks and/or collaborations:
Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable investment efforts is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.