Carleton University is pleased to announce updated responsible investment policies that include a commitment to not hold any direct fossil fuel investments in its Endowment and Non-Endowed Operating Funds, as well as a strategy to achieve significant decarbonization of these portfolios by 2030. In addition, Carleton will establish a fossil-fuel free investment fund to which donors may direct their gifts. This fund will be set up by the end of 2022.
Carleton is also pleased to announce that it is a signatory to the United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which are considered best practice in the area of responsible investment.
“These strategic decisions align with Carleton’s commitment to meet the challenge of climate change and to strive towards creating a more sustainable economy,” said Carleton President and Vice-Chancellor, Benoit-Antoine Bacon. “We are taking action and I am pleased to say that at this time, Carleton is not holding any direct fossil fuel investments in these funds.”
The updated policies recognize that climate change affects all sectors of the market and society. As such, the policies include a strategy of decarbonization designed to transition the portfolios to lower carbon ones by addressing carbon emissions across the entire portfolio.
Carleton’s responsible investment policies are based on the belief that taking environmental, social, and governance factors into account as part of the investment decision-making process may add value to its portfolios, while creating positive change on critical issues such as climate change.
The Responsible Investment policy for the Carleton University Retirement Fund has also been updated, based on the PRI and in accordance with all regulatory requirements. For more information, please see the policies here.
Carleton University has a strong commitment to strive for continuous environmental and sustainable improvement in our operations and policies. We continue to seek new and innovative ways to demonstrate our sustainability leadership in research, teaching and learning. This commitment has allowed the university to reduce its carbon footprint by 35 per cent while ensuring that both existing and future generations of students, faculty and staff continue to benefit from the Carleton experience.
