Responsible Investment

Governance

The university’s Board of Governors, through the Board Investment Committee, provides strategic oversight with respect to all investments. On behalf of the university, the Board Investment Committee and the Investment and Treasury Office work with investment managers on investing responsibly.

Policy + Practices

The University of Alberta is committed to investing responsibly and to investing in line with university values.

The Board Investment Committee’s Statement of Investment Principles and Beliefs guides asset allocation, implementation, performance evaluation and risk management and responsible investment. It is reviewed annually by the committee to ensure the documented beliefs remain valid.

The university’s investment policy and process considers environmental, social and governance opportunities and risks, and is informed by the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment. 

The Board Investment Committee and the Investment and Treasury Office purposefully engage with the investment managers of the University Endowment Pool on matters related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues to ensure that the university’s commitment to responsible investments is being met. The principles they follow include:

  • Integrate the consideration of ESG factors into the investment process as an additional criterion in the selection and ongoing monitoring of active investment managers.
  • Regularly review and track the engagement of active investment managers with their investee companies and their proxy voting records on ESG related issues.
  • Obtain and evaluate annual disclosure from all active investment managers on how ESG factors are incorporated into their investment decision making processes.
  • Collaborate with other institutional investors and industry associations on ESG matters where appropriate.
  • Disclose and publish a detailed listing of its investments annually, and report on ESG matters in the Investment Committee's annual report.

University Endowment Pool disclosure reports

In September 2024, the university published a list of the University Endowment Pool (UEP) investment holdings as part of this commitment to responsible investment. Going forward this list will be disclosed every year. You can find the annual reports of UEP investment holdings at the University Endowment Pool Disclosure page.

2024 Responsible Investment Policy Review 

The Board Investment Committee is currently working with experts at the Canadian Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) to review university investment policies and practices to ensure they continue to follow the latest industry best practices for investing responsibly. SHARE is an award-winning non-profit organization with deep experience in responsible investment and in working with the post-secondary sector.

As part of this review, the university will be engaging in consultations with the community in the fall of 2024. Check back on this page for updates on the review, including consultation opportunities as they become available.

Additional Information