News

Researcher from the School of Accounting and Finance cautions that clear regulatory oversight is needed to protect investors.

The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly popular in the investment world with sustainable investing creating a large global impact. This significant shift lead the School of Accounting and Finance's (SAF) Dr. Adam Vitalis and his co-authors to research how green labels attract investors to certain projects which can open the door to greenwashing. 

The School of Accounting and Finance (SAF) is proud to collaborate with the Waterloo Climate Institute and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) on the Accelerating Climate Change Education for the Next Generation of Professionals initiative. 

This initiative focuses on developing impactful course materials that integrate climate change adaptation into professional programs, with the ultimate goal of embedding sustainability into all SAF programs through The Hub for Sustainability Integration.

The Inaugural Hub for Sustainability Integration Conference took place on March 21st at the Delta Hotel in Toronto. The day was filled with informative presentations and panel discussions from some of the country’s most knowledgeable sustainability integration and climate advocates. 

The Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB) announced the release of new proposed standards for companies to report sustainability and climate-related information, based on the recently released sustainability disclosure standards by the IFRS Foundation’s International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

The release of the new standards may form a significant step towards the introduction of mandatory climate-related reporting requirements for Canadian companies.

The ISSB was launched in November 2021 at the COP26 climate conference, with the goal to develop IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, driven by demand from investors, companies, governments and regulators to provide a global baseline of disclosure requirements enabling a consistent understanding of the effect of sustainability risks and opportunities on companies’ prospects.

Read the full article here.

Guest Post by Rob Fisher, KPMG U.S. ESG Leader

Large organizations are increasingly subject to an array of ESG reporting obligations. Incentivized by grants and tax credits, these large companies are driving the move toward sustainability.

However, it’s the small and mid-sized companies that make up nearly 90% of businesses worldwide and employ almost half of North America’s workers.

Therefore, it is crucial to explore how sustainability wins from small businesses can snowball into the larger value chain.

Read the full article here.