ACT

Put your planning into motion. This section presents you with multiple tools to activate your new investment strategy and policies.

Pledge Your Intentions

Fossil Fuel Divestment Commitment 

Semi-annual divestment announcements have a significant impact on industry and society.

Note: Your financial information is collected for the purpose of including it in the total amount of all divested assets with each new celebration of global divestment announcements. Your asset information is private unless you give special permission to make it public. For more information contact Joseph D'halluin, Zero Fossil Fuels Campaign Manager, directly at [email protected] .

Impact Investment Commitment 

Collaboration strengthens the results of impact investing.

You can connect and work with others in the CIIC network by visiting their Get Involved page.

Market Reinvestment

Refer to your investment policy 

Now that you’ve decided to use the power of your investments to further your mission, it’s time to decide where to reinvest your divested funds. Your investment policy will guide the types of investments you chose and will specify which sectors align with your mission’s values. If your policy needs updating, visit step two of our discernment guide.

Avenues to consider for Reinvestment

Transitioning our economy to clean energy is one potential goal of ecological investing. To maintain a balanced portfolio, you may wish to reinvest in companies within the Energy sector. To ensure sustainability, look for companies whose primary business model is to expand on renewable energy.   

Consider companies who specialize in solar, wind, geothermal, or tidal energy. These companies offer growth potential, but many do not have decades of market participation, and therefore have shorter historical track records than other energy companies. Ask your financial advisor to help you access alternative screeners as outlined here. 

Re-balance your Portfolio

When you re-invest you may find that it is a good time to re-balance your portfolio. Discuss with your financial advisor investments outside of the energy sector.

Impact Investing

Don’t forget that now is the opportunity to make an impact with your investments. Ensure the funds you choose fuel the change you are looking for.

Non-Market Reinvestment 

If you have divested from fossil fuel and you want to put your money to work outside of the market, there are many options for investing into a greener economy.  

Consider Angel Investing 

Angel investors provide capital directly to startup businesses. Angel investing gives you an opportunity to support what you value most by helping young entrepreneurs who are seeking to make a difference. It also lets you stay involved in the business community. You can set up your own program or join established programs that fit with your association’s goals and values. 

• Visit Angel Investors Ontario to learn about establishing your own angel group.  
• Explore OIKO to join an established network of angel investors where you can invest in financial inclusion, agriculture programs, and global initiatives to provide access to renewable energy.

Limited Partnerships and Venture Capital 

These opportunities involve relatively young companies seeking start-up capital or investment partners to help them grow and expand. This form of investment is for those who want to form a close relationship with a company that aligns with their values.

• RAVEN Indigenous Capital Partners is an Indigenous run social finance intermediary offering RAVEN Indigenous Impact Funds.
• Viridis Terra International is a Quebec based company specializing in rich biodiversity ecosystem remediation that offers partnership opportunities.  
• Terramera is a venture capital based Canadian company specializing in regenerative agriculture and clean agrotechnology 
• Deshkan Ziibi Conservation Impact Bonds An untraditional bond that works in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples towards a common goal of conservation. 

Assess your Building’s Carbon Footprint

We all have a carbon footprint; consider using your divested funds to make your building more efficient. There are many programs to help you do this.  

Make a Donation 

Every organization is unique with their own values and missions. Now is a great opportunity to re-familiarize yourself with your organization’s mission and invest in that which you value most. Consider using your funds to make a donation to an organization that carries out your mission. 

Alternate Actions 

Maybe you’ve decided that you’re not yet ready to divest. You can still participate in other climate actions that do not require divestment, but also help to reduce carbon emissions. 

Shareholder Engagement 

This investment strategy leverages an investor’s position to influence the corporate decision-making of public companies. When you hold shares in a company, you have the right to attend their annual general meetings (AGM) and vote on important matters. As a shareholder participating in engagement make sure you:  

• Vote to select the company’s board of directors and other important matters. Employ proxy voting when you cannot attend the AGM   
• Write to the investor relations departments about important matters or request in person meetings. Companies have a duty to act in their shareholders’ interests so they must pay attention to your ideas.

Non-profit organizations such as Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE), Groupe Investissement Responsible Inc. (GIR) and Regroupement pour la responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RRSE) help institutional investors to develop and implement responsible investment strategies. Their services include shareholder engagement advice, proxies, policy development and access to shareholder networks to strengthen proxy voting. 

Climate Advocacy 

Bank Switching 

Canadian banks are intertwined with the fossil fuel industry. Despite some green initiatives, many still support fossil fuels. Withdrawing your business is a powerful way to signal displeasure.

• Meet with bank representatives to ask them to disclose their fossil fuel involvement or their ESG profile. When you find an institution that has a satisfactory climate agenda, open an account. 
• Tell the manager of the old institution why you left. When enough people do this, the banks take notice. 
• Consider a Credit Union as many of them do not invest in fossil fuel production and expansion.  
• Visit 350.org for more information on bank switching. 

Vatican Invitation to Action

A significant initiative towards sustainability from Rome 

Pope Francis calls divesting from fossil fuels both a moral and a theological imperative that can help to counter widespread suffering and destruction from climate change. The Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development encourages an examination of how Catholics can bring about systemic change by planning and acting on seven goals. One of these goals is an evolution towards an Ecological Economy. The Laudato Si’ Action Platform suggests, “Ensuring financial investments are ethical and sustainable by divesting from fossil fuels, investing in socially responsible enterprises, and choosing ethical banking and insurance companies.” When you choose to participate in the seven-year journey of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform you will receive guidance through many actionable activities, including tracking your goals towards an Ecological Economy. 

Resources

Downloadable Resources

Video Resources

Financial Resources  

As You Sow fund screener  offers tools that allow you to search for funds in line with your values.  

SHARE offers many services for investors including, proxy voting advice and planning, networking, and shareholder engagement services and consultation. 

RRSE Regroupement pour responsabilité sociales des entreprises Est un regroupement de communautés religieuses, d’organismes et d’individus dont la mission est de promouvoir la responsabilité sociale des entreprises en proposant des changements concrets en matière de justice sociale, environnementale et de saine gouvernance.

Groupe Investissement Responsible Inc.  GIR services include consultation and management of voting rights to help clients take into account ESG issues in their investments and their voting decisions.

Raven Indigenous Capital Partners  With Raven Indigenous Capital Partners, you can invest in sustainable Indigenous economic relationships through their indigenous impact fund.  

MaRS Centre for Impact Investing provides many services including advisory services, mentorship, education, and access to an annual social finance forum in Toronto.  

FaithInvest Visit FaithInvest to join an international network of faith-based investors who educate, collaborate and explore new opportunities and concepts around faith and value-driven investing.  

CIIC Learn about the work being done by the Catholic Impact Investing Collaborative.  

SHIFT Action for Pension Wealth and Planet Health  Find tools to engage peers and pension fund managers to protect pension assets and the planet. 

Ontario Teachers and HOOPP Members Pension Plan Members If you belong to these two pension plans, collaborate here to let Canadian pension fund managers know that you support action for the climate. 

Impact United Join Impact United to connect with other like-minded organizations and financial institutions who are using capital to mobilize action for social and environmental justice. 

The Carbon Underground 200 Fossil Fuel Investment Solutions annually identifies the top global publicly-owned coal, oil, and gas reserves owners ranked by the carbon emissions embedded in their reserves.

Continued Learning and Tools

To assist with financial discernment: 

Reconciliation and Responsible Investment Initiative A guide for investors on advancing Indigenous reconciliation in Canada. 

Fossil Free 350.org originated the divest from fossil fuels movement.  It has grown into a powerful movement organizing hundreds of thousands of people globally. 

IMPACTFUL INVESTMENT CAPITAL AS A FORCE FOR GOOD: MOVING FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE A Catherine Donnelly Foundation documentation of their impact investment experience and recommendations.

Divesting our congregational funds from fossil fuels, the actions we took and the lessons we learned, Trinity St. Paul United Church. 

Scarboro Missions Summary of Divestment from Fossil Fuels, a synopsis of the Scarboro Missions divestment journey.

Catholic Eco-Investment Accelerator Webinars Access Mouvement Laudato Si’ Movement - Canada’s Catholic Eco-Investment Accelerator webinars.

Canada’s energy companies are gaining ground on climate risk disclosures, but there are still gaps to fill An assessment of climate related financial disclosures in Canada’s energy sector. 

Emerging Risks for the Energy Sector and How ESG is Tied to a Company’s Financial Health A look at the various risk factors affecting profitability of Canadian companies. 

To make you commitments public: 

Laudato Si’ Movement – Divest/Reinvest Make your commitment to fossil fuel divestment with the Laudato Si’ Movement (formerly the Global Catholic Climate Movement) using this form, and access their guide to divestment and reinvestment. 

Fossil Free: Divest – Register Your Divestment Commitment

Catholic Impact Investing Collaborative Pledge Join others seeking to implement faith-based values with impact investment strategies and opportunities. 

The work of re-evaluating your investments, with a lens to protecting our

common home, is rooted in faith filled traditions.

Pope Francis offers this prayer.

Acknowledgements 

Thank you, Catherine Donnelly Foundation, for funding the Catholic Eco-Investment Accelerator project. 

Thank you, Faith & the Common Good for technical, administrative and website support. 

Thank you, Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada, Scarboro Missions, and the Ursuline Sisters of Chatham for additional financial assistance.

Thank you, Kevin Moynihan, http://www.kmproductions.ca/, for generously donating time and talent to edit the Testimonials video. 

Thank you, Philippe Crabbé, and staff member Abir Samih, of Regroupement pour la responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RRSE), for assistance with French editing. 

Thank you, Cathy Lacroix, Robin Larocque, CJ Martin, and Romane Toumani for the contribution of your talent and time to complete the planning, writing and translation of the Toolkit. 

Thank you, Agnes Richard, Coordinator of Mouvement Laudato Si’ Movement Canada for overseeing the project.