Purpose to make all funds ESG funds

Toronto-based Purpose Investments has announced it will integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into all of its investment strategies and roster of funds.

The asset manager will aim to have its new ESG framework integrated across as much of its fund lineup as possible by the end of the year, Purpose said in a release on Wednesday. 

The firm utilizes in-house research and a proprietary scoring methodology to provide ESG scores for its funds alongside factor models that include value, quality and momentum.

Each Purpose fund will have an ESG rating available on the firm’s website that is broken down into environmental, social and governance categories. The ratings are measured against a custom benchmark relevant to each fund. 

According to the release, the majority of Purpose funds — totalling approximately 75% of assets under management — have already incorporated ESG factors into their investment approach. 

“We don’t think our clients should have to choose between long-term success and investing in companies they can believe in,” Som Seif, CEO and founder of Purpose Investments, said in a statement.

Nicola Wealth launches sustainable fund

Toronto-based Nicola Wealth has announced the launch of the Nicola Sustainable Innovation Fund, a mutual fund trust that invests in “innovative solutions to environmental issues.”

The new fund offers a diversified portfolio of companies in the renewable energy, transportation, water infrastructure and clean technology sectors, and allocates 10% of its holdings to green bonds.

Maddie Johnson

Maddie is a freelance writer and editor who has been reporting for Advisor.ca since 2019.