Sustainability Report - 2021 - RPIA

RPIA SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2021

RPIA SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2021

OVERVIEW FIRM

OVERVIEW FIRM

38

39

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

Breakdown of 2021 ESG Meetings by Industry and Country

Engagement Case Study 1: Oil & Gas

6%

Background This case study focuses on a meeting with one of the largest Canadian energy infrastructure companies to discuss environmental and social themes. The issuer operates within one of the highest emitting sectors in Canada, and the nature of its operations has a considerable impact on Canadian communities, specifically Indigenous groups. Engagement Focus Conversations focused on two impact themes for the issuer: (1) reducing the carbon footprint of their operations and (2) engagement with communities in which the company has a significant physical footprint. The issuer had just released a detailed carbon accounting report and set carbon reduction plans for their operations. RPIA also discussed the impacts of the company’s physical footprint on Indigenous communities to understand how the issuer considered community rights, equity, and representation within the company itself.

Banking

12%

O&G Producers

29%

Biotech & Pharma

18%

Electric Utilities

Telecommunications

17%

Insurance

18%

6%

Canada

6%

Unites States

6%

Progress and Monitoring

Italy

6%

35%

We deemed the company’s carbon disclosure to be advanced relative to peers, and their reduction plans were in line with what has been implemented at Canadian and US peers within the same subsector. This included credible medium and long-term targets with clear progress points along the timeline. RPIA raised the concern that the company’s recent emissions trends were increasing, which would make future reductions more difficult. We will monitor the company’s actions to modernize their current projects to reduce the impact of carbon from operations (better controls around fugitive emissions, electrification of operations, renewable power purchase agreements, etc.).

Israel

12%

Germany

France

29%

United Kingdom

10,000 12,500 15,000 17,500 20,000

Major topics discussed with issuers over 2021 included carbon reduction target setting across all industries, research and development (R&D) in new environmental technology such as carbon capture, access to healthcare in developing markets, engagement with Indigenous populations, and representation of women across the corporate structure. Many of our conversations included discussions on issuing ESG-related bonds, focusing on sustainability-linked bonds, which embed an adjustment in financing cost if issuers do not hit certain ESG-related targets.

Issuer (Scope 2) Issuer (Scope 1)

0 2,500 5,000 7,500

Peer (Scope 2)

Peer (Scope 1)

2017

2018

2019

2020

Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog