The SIO's mandate is to promote the practice of socially responsible investment (SRI), which includes screening on social and environmental issues, shareholder advocacy to improve corporate responsibility and community investment to help local development.
SIO members believe that SRI represents a useful tool to improve investment returns and to reduce risk. It is also a powerful catalyst to help make corporations more responsible and sustainable.
Call to Action: You have a right to know how your pension is invested
Call to action: The SIO is calling for rules to require federal pension plans to lift the veil on their social and environmental policies and how they use the power of their shareholder votes.
About the Social Investment Organization
Established in 1989, the Social Investment Organization is the national non-profit association for the socially responsible investment (SRI) industry in Canada. It is funded primarily from membership dues and is accountable to its membership. The SIO has more than 400 members across Canada, representing the following:
Socially- and environmentally-screened mutual funds and their staff
Financial institutions providing socially responsible investment products or operating according to corporate social responsibility principles
Investment advisors providing advice and assistance on socially responsible investment
Investment managers managing socially responsible investment assets
Institutions investing according to socially responsible investment guidelines
Retail investors investing according to socially responsible investment guidelines
Non-governmental organizations and other groups with an interest in responsible investment
Our members serve more than half a million depositors and investors in Canada.
The mandate of the SIO is fourfold:
To take a leadership role in furthering the use of social and environmental criteria within the investment community in Canada.
To raise public awareness of socially responsible investment
To establish the case for environmental/social analysis with other investment organizations.
To provide a forum and information source on socially responsible investment for our members and the public
The Social Investment Organization defines SRI as the process of selecting or managing investments according to social or environmental criteria. The SIO estimates there is approximately $65.5 billion in socially responsible investment assets in Canada. The practice of SRI includes a number of unique investment approaches:
Screening based on exclusionary or inclusionary criteria, such as tobacco, alcohol, environmental performance, human rights violations, community involvement and employee relations. This is sometimes called a top-down approach because it involves the application of pre-determined social or environmental values to investment selection.
Stock portfolio analysis and management based on social responsibility and/or sustainability policies, integrating social and sustainability indicators with traditional financial analysis. This is sometimes called a bottom-up approach because it incorporates social and sustainability analysis to inform the investment decision-making process without necessarily screening out particular holdings based on pre-determined social or sustainability choices.
Shareholder advocacy and corporate engagement strategies, which involve the use of shareholder power to influence corporate behaviour through corporate communication, shareholder proposals, proxy voting policies and divestment.
Community investment, which is the placement of capital into local loan or equity vehicles targeting community development or serving low-income or disadvantaged groups.
Sustainable venture capital, which is the placement of funds - primarily private investments outside the public markets - in startup firms and small businesses that produce products or services that optimize the use of natural resources while reducing environmental impact.
SIO members believe that socially responsible investment represents a useful investment tool to enhance returns and reduce risk by incorporating social and environmental factors traditionally excluded from portfolio management. It is also a catalyst for positive social change.
Read more about the Canadian Association for Socially Responsible Investment.
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