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HOOPP

Sustainable Investing

Sustainable Investing

Sustainable investing leverages insights from environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors to enhance investment performance. ESG factors can take the form of risks or opportunities and can be relevant to an individual investment or the broader investment strategy throughout the investment life cycle.

Sustainable investing at HOOPP is about achieving our mission – i.e., to continue delivering on our pension promise – in a way that aligns with our values and promotes strong relationships with our stakeholders.

While HOOPP has invested this way for years, sustainable investing remains a growing area of focus. In 2019, we established a dedicated Sustainable Investing team and, in 2020, we launched a formalized Sustainable Investing approach to guide us moving forward. Our approach to sustainable investing is built upon our sustainable investing beliefs, which describe how we see our role in the world, and our framework, which provides a guide for what sustainable investing looks like at HOOPP. Both are outlined below.

sustainable investing

Our Sustainable Investing beliefs

We believe, as a large global investor operating in an increasingly interconnected world, our sustainability is linked to the health of the societies and environments we invest in.

We believe we have a fiduciary duty to deliver on our pension promise and a responsibility to do so in a way that considers the perspectives of our stakeholders.

We believe that helping to shape sustainable communities, ecosystems and capital markets is part of being a good corporate citizen and a prudent long-term investor.

We believe the cornerstone of effective investing is assessing returns against risks, and these can be positively or negatively impacted by environmental, social and governance factors.

Our Sustainable Investing framework

1. We integrate ESG factors in our investment strategy and activities 2. We are responsible stewards of our investments 3. We foster the sustainability of our communities, ecosystems and markets 1. We integrate ESG factors in our investment strategy and activities 2. We are responsible stewards of our investments 3. We foster the sustainability of our communities, ecosystems and markets

We integrate ESG factors in our investment strategy and analysis.

When HOOPP evaluates new investment opportunities, our investment teams integrate ESG factors into their analysis and decision making. This integration helps broaden the investment teams’ view of the risks and opportunities inherent in each investment. Learn more about our Sustainable Investing Policy.

Organizations like TCFD, the Value Reporting Foundation and CDP help investors, like HOOPP, access valuable ESG information.

Maple 8 media releaseIn 2020, HOOPP’s CEO joined the CEOs of Canada’s leading pension plan investment managers, including AIMCo, BCI, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, CPP Investments, OMERS, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and PSP Investments to issue a collective statement calling for companies to provide standardized Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data in order to strengthen investment decision-making and better assess and manage their collective ESG risks. Read the statement.

TCFD logo

HOOPP formally supports the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) which developed a voluntary framework for climate change reporting. 

SASB logo

As a member of the SASB Alliance, we believe that standardized, industry-specific and materiality-based standards are critical to sustainable investing. SASB standards enable businesses around the world to identify, manage and communicate financially-material sustainability information to their investors.

CDP logo

Since 2005, HOOPP has been an investor signatory of CDP. CDP encourages investors, companies and cities to build a sustainable economy by measuring and understanding their environmental impact.

We are responsible stewards of our investments.

Once an investment is made, we continue our sustainable investing approach through our stewardship activities, which include proxy voting, active engagements with companies to promote improved management of ESG factors and asset management activities.

Public investments

HOOPP believes that investing in well-governed companies can help achieve the returns required to deliver on our pension promise, while strong, effective governance enhances and protects shareholder value.

HOOPP owns shares in public corporations both in Canada and globally and is entitled to vote on company-specific issues put forth by management and shareholders. Our votes are an important mechanism to influence companies and express our views as a shareholder.

Proxy voting

These votes are generally cast by use of a proxy. Voting our proxies in alignment with the principles of good governance aligns with our fiduciary duty to our Plan beneficiaries and is part of how we responsibly steward our investments, the second pillar of our Sustainable Investing framework.

2021 Proxy Voting

In 2021, HOOPP voted on nearly 18,000 proposals at over 1,500 meetings, which included close to 500 shareholder proposals. We exercised our voice and voted against management for 11% of proposals.

Beyond voting proxies, our investment teams also meet with companies to encourage positive change on ESG matters. We engage with companies individually, as well as collaboratively with other like-minded investors.

Typically, we engage with public companies, but we also engage with private companies that may pursue initial public offerings.

Did you know?

Voting by proxy is the legal transfer of a shareholder’s right to vote to another party, allowing shareholders that cannot physically attend shareholder meetings to vote by mail or electronically.

Private investments

ESG considerations are embedded into asset management activities for private investments. For example, our real estate team has developed an industry-leading sustainability program that is a core part of its portfolio management activities. The team works closely with its partners to advance sustainability across its portfolio.

HOOPP's real estate sustainability program has also received multiple awards, including three 2020 Investment and Pensions Europe (IPE) Real Estate Global Awards in the categories of Portfolio Construction, Direct Strategy and Sustainable Strategy. Learn more about our real estate portfolio and read our latest Real Estate Sustainability Report.

We foster the sustainability of our communities, ecosystems and markets.

As a large global investor, our long-term success is connected to the sustainability of the communities, ecosystems and capital markets we operate in.

HOOPP is proud to have partnered with organizations such as the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG), the 30% Club Canada Investor Group, Tobacco Free Portfolios and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

CCGG logo

HOOPP is a member of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance (CCGG), which promotes strong governance practices in Canadian companies. We endorse the CCGG's Stewardship Principles which align with HOOPP’s strategies for sound governance in how we manage the Plan.

30 Percent Club logo

HOOPP is a member of the 30% Club Canada Investor Group, which promotes greater gender diversity on company boards and management teams.

In 2021, the percentage of women on the boards of TSX Composite-listed companies surpassed 30% for the first time, achieving the goal of reaching this milestone by 2022. This is a strong first step with much more work to be done.

Tobacco-Free Portfolios logo

HOOPP is proud to be a signatory of the Tobacco-Free Finance Pledge. We have partnered with the not-for-profit Tobacco Free Portfolios to make a public commitment to sustainable finance and global health. In our pledge to tobacco-free investments, we are joined by over 130 leading financial organizations, across 22 countries.
PRI logo


Since 2011, HOOPP has been a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). PRI is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment, with signatories representing over $100 trillion USD assets under management.
ISSB Logo

In 2021, HOOPP supported Canada’s successful bid to host the global headquarters for the new International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). During COP26 in Glasgow, it was announced that one of two global offices of the ISSB will be in Montreal. This movement towards a global sustainability standard represents a significant step forward in improving ESG disclosures for investors.

Climate change

Our changing climate will alter risks and opportunities facing the Plan, both through physical impacts as well as transition impacts. Managing climate-related risks to the investment portfolio is part of the Plan's risk-based approach to investing. Learn more about HOOPP’s climate change initiatives.

The ESG landscape is continually changing, as new risks and opportunities emerge. HOOPP is committed to sustainable investing as an integral part of how the Plan invests, and we are excited to continue evolving our approach in a way that delivers ongoing and long-term value to our members.

This document provides a simplified overview of HOOPP's benefits based on the terms of the HOOPP Plan Text at the time of publication. From time to time, HOOPP may amend the HOOPP Plan Text. In cases where the information provided in this document differs from that contained in the HOOPP Plan Text, the HOOPP Plan Text will govern. More details, including the full HOOPP Plan Text and a complete description of the Plan and its benefits, can be found on hoopp.com.