Humanity is facing a complex array of distinct but intertwined crises—the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the climate disaster, inflation and ideological polarization. Our keynote speaker, Thomas Homer Dixon will help us examine these threats to global security and identify ways for organizations and societies to respond. Drawing on his most recent book, Commanding Hope, Dr. Homer-Dixon will share his vision for a reinvigorated idea of hope and its crucial role in creating the systemic, positive change we need. The keynote address will be followed by a moderated conversation with our Leaders Panel, where we will look at the role for investors as active protagonists in renewing the future.
This keynote will be followed by a conversation with a Leaders Panel.
Following the keynote address is a moderated conversation with our Leaders Panel, where we will look at the role for investors as active protagonists in renewing the future.
The rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining are fundamental human rights. In recent years, there has been renewed attention around the importance of this right as an enabler of health and safety, diversity, equity and inclusion and the mitigation of forced and child labour. Companies around the world need to contend with growing investor expectations, disclosure requirements and laws, like mandatory human rights due diligence. Nevertheless, the global panorama of respect for labour rights, precarious work and inequality is not improving.
Rising housing costs in Canada have been accompanied by a surge in institutional investment in the multifamily rental market. The investments that pension funds, asset managers, private equity firms and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) make in residential real estate are coming under increasing scrutiny on the part of the general public, political leaders and regulatory bodies.
While most Canadian institutional investors have responsible investment policies and incorporate ESG considerations into their investment decision-making, none have articulated an approach to addressing the reputational, regulatory and systemic risks in their housing portfolios.
This session will discuss investor efforts to address the adequate right to housing in their portfolios. It will explore a set of principles for responsible investment in housing developed by the Investors for Affordable Cities Project. It will profile efforts by institutional investors to advance housing affordability in their asset allocation and stewardship.
The transition to a net zero economy, and the production of new technologies, electric vehicles, and infrastructure will create unprecedented demand for critical minerals from the global mining sector. Large scale mining projects have consistently been shown to contribute to environmental, social, and human rights issues, and the scale of production required to meet the projected industry demand will amplify these challenges. This session will explore the unique role and opportunities for investors to promote innovation, sustainability, safety, and equity in the mining sector.
The sands of pension and corporate law and policy are shifting under our feet this year as the federal government pursues a variety of economic changes which will affect investment, economic and social outcomes. Big controversies over things like inflation-fighting measures, mergers, and protecting pensions are challenging the old economic policy playbook, and changing the rules for investment and innovation for all of us. So where is the battle over inflation headed, what’s next for competition law, and what will happen with the fight over pension beneficiary super-priority in insolvencies as Bill C-228 goes to the Senate?
Our panel of economists and legal experts will walk us through why pensions and investment leaders need to understand what’s changed in how we think about economic policy, the reality behind these and other shifts, what’s coming up next, and what it all means for our economic and social future.
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Unceded territory of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations