iA Financial Group has released its sustainability report for 2022, outlining the strides it had made in its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance during the year.
The report highlighted several ESG milestones for the corporation, including the issuance of its first sustainable bond and donating over $8.5 million to various organizations involved in the social and community support, healthcare, education, and environmental fields.
Along with this, iA Financial revealed in a press release that it had received “carbon-neutral business” certification for the third consecutive year.
“2022 was a turning point for our ESG strategy,” said iA Financial president & CEO Denis Ricard in the introduction of the report. “After patiently building our foundation and learning to measure our progress, we’re now entering an expansion phase with far more visible results.”
“Our vision for sustainable development is to actively contribute to sustainable growth and wellbeing for our clients, employees, partners, investors and communities,” added sustainability vice-president Marie-Annick Bonneau. “Our 2022 actions and achievements are directly in line with this goal.”
The 2022 Sustainability Report specifically highlighted iA Financial’s commitment to sustainable finance, noting that it has strengthened its ESG coordination structure for investments by appointing an expert in charge of responsible investment. The corporation has also begun analyzing its investment portfolio’s greenhouse gas emissions and has issued its first sustainable bond totalling $300 million.
“We believe that sustainable investing is a structural trend that creates long-term value for both the financial markets and the corporation,” the report stated. “Our sustainable investment strategy is rooted in our purpose of ensuring that our clients feel confident and secure about their future.”
As for its environmental efforts, iA Financial published its Climate Change Position Statement in 2022, announcing its ambition “to be, in the future, among the best in our industry in climate change in North America.”
In line with this goal, iA Financial has been evaluating its climate change risks and opportunities annually based on the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).
In terms of social initiatives, the iA Financial report highlighted the continued rollout of the corporation’s extensive equity, diversity, and inclusion program, which includes the establishment of employee resource groups for women and Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
The past year also saw the launch of iA Financial’s Work from Anywhere program, described as a flexible and adaptive model that offers employees the option to choose where they want to work.
Additionally, iA Financial launched four new socially responsible funds in 2022, bringing its total number of ESG investment funds to 24.
The report additionally highlighted iA Financial’s ongoing efforts to develop best practices in governance, whether in terms of board expertise, risk management, compliance, or ethical standards.
In particular, the corporation has been dedicated to maintaining information security, and in 2022, the IT training and awareness program demonstrated continued progress in the safe behaviour of its employees.
What are your thoughts on iA Financial’s sustainability efforts? Feel free to comment below.
