OMERS believes that Environmental Social Governance (ESG) integration across the firm and portfolio is key to becoming a leader in sustainable investing. OMERS approach to sustainable investing is guided by four key principles.
Integrating ESG factors into investment decision-making processes
Actively engaging with portfolio companies to promote sustainable business practices
Collaborating with institutions to exchange information, evolve practices and advocate for better transparency
Continually adapting the approach to ensure it remains relevant and effective over time
At OMERS Private Equity, ESG factors play a role in determining the ultimate value of an investment and we proudly work with our companies to help enhance sustainability programs within the portfolio.
We bring in leading industry experts to truly make this a value add experience for our management teams and CEOs. We have also developed a robust approach to working with our management teams to understand and establish baseline performance metrics against ESG factors, and to build roadmaps for success.
“Companies that integrate consideration of ESG-related business risks and opportunities are more likely to preserve and create long-term value. OMERS believes that well-run organizations with sound ESG practices will perform better, particularly over the long-term, and we are committed to supporting our portfolio companies in their management of ESG performance."
See OMERS Sustainable Investing Policy. The specific approaches used by OMERS Business Units may vary given the nature of the assets or investment strategies they pursue and the extent to which ESG factors may be relevant to investment performance. In addition, the level of influence that OMERS has over an investee company will generally vary in proportion to its economic interest. While ESG factors are often long term in nature, we recognize ESG factors can play a part in assessing the valuation and future performance of an investment over the short, medium and long-term. Further, ESG factors can impact the reputation of an investee company and potentially of OMERS.
Committing to a low-carbon future
OMERS vision is to be a leader in sustainable investing, to better protect and generate superior value for its members over the long term.
