Driving change with responsible investment (RI)

RI portfolios are designed for investors who want to combine attractive return potential with supporting companies that are committed to sustainability and social responsibility towards people and communities.

Carefully selected companies

We believe that companies that care as much about their environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices as they do about their financial performance are better equipped to deal with the headwinds in the global economy.

That's why our team at Ouellet Bolduc Group rigorously assesses the companies selected for our responsible investment solutions in terms of their ESG practices and financial performance. We exclude controversial sectors altogether.

Choosing RI pays off

Companies that embrace responsible investment principles perform on par with conventional companies—sometimes even better.

Performance comparison between a traditional market index and a responsible investment index.

What are ESG criteria?

Incorporating ESG criteria helps pinpoint issues that could potentially affect the company.

The selected companies comply with the best-possible ESG practices in their industries.

Environmental

• Fighting climate change
• Safeguarding access to drinking water
• Preserving biodiversity

Social

• Enforcing labour standards
• Respecting human rights (regarding child labour, for example)
• Ensuring social acceptability (regarding First Nations, for example))

Governance

• Promoting board diversity
• Tracking executive compensation (like incentives and bonuses)
• Recognizing shareholder rights

"RI is the right priority for us, our clients, their children and future generations. Since protecting capital is also one of our key concerns, this approach is a good fit for our investment philosophy. We've always promoted healthier lifestyles through physical exercise and our community engagement initiatives. What better way to show our commitment to being a positive force for change!"

Our selection process

1. Vigeo Eiris, a screening filter application from Moody's ESG Solutions^{note de bas de page 1}

Negative screening

We exclude companies with links to 9 industry sectors: questionable chemicals; firearms; military projects; gambling; pornography; tobacco; fossil fuels; and coal, oil and oil sands.

Zero tolerance

We don't tolerate incidents and controversies reported in the media.

Positive screening

We invest in sectors or companies that promote human rights.

2. Portfolio construction

We apply our investment principles when selecting securities.

How we align our investments with our values

+30%

In 2018, RI accounted for over 30% of assets under management worldwide. Source: Global Sustainable Investment Review

+130%

In Quebec, the capital amounts ploughed into responsible investments grew from $198 billion to $457 billion in the space of just 10 years—an increase of more than 130%. Source: Conseiller.ca

+70%

In the 2018 RIA Investor Opinion Survey, 71% of respondents agreed that companies with good ESG practices are better long-term investments. Source: Riacanada.ca

Rigorous selection process

Our partners:

• Vigeo Eiris (now part of Moody's ESG Solutions), a well-respected, independent, agency providing research and ESG services. The agency's research reports and databases enable us to choose from a range of North American securities that meet our criteria.
• RIA, Canada's industry association for responsible investment, awards recognized Canadian accreditations, including to one of the members on our team.

To learn more, call us at 1-888-833-8133.