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- Almost 60 per cent of investors currently hold sustainable investments or are planning to in the next few years
- Environment, human rights, fair labour practices and gender equality are the most popular causes supported by investors
- Taking action beyond investing more than 90 per cent of Canadians recycle and use reusable shopping bags; 85 per cent donate clothes and other goods
TORONTO, April 21, 2022– According to Mackenzie Investments’ third annual Earth Day Study, Canadians continue to be sustainability changemakers by aligning their investing with their values. However, the study also found that their commitment to making a positive impact on the world around them includes taking action in other areas of their lives as well.
According to the study:
- Almost 60 per cent (58 per cent) of investors either currently hold sustainable investments or plan on getting into the sustainable investing space in the next few years.
- Of those who do currently hold sustainable investments, 71 per cent plan on increasing their holdings.
- The causes most supported through sustainable investing include the environment/climate change (57 per cent), human rights (27 per cent), fair labour practices (23 per cent), and gender equality (19 per cent).
“Canadians continue to show strong interest in promoting sustainability through their investing, and that’s great news on multiple levels,” said Andrew Simpson, Portfolio Manager and Head of the Mackenzie Betterworld Team. “As sustainability issues grow more salient throughout the world, it’s encouraging that Canadian investors are identifying sustainable investments as an opportunity to reinforce their portfolios while also aligning their investments with their values.”
Championing Sustainability Beyond Investing
The study also looked beyond the world of investing and found that Canada is turning into a nation of “sustainability changemakers”, with the vast majority of Canadians taking small actions to help create a more sustainable world:
- 94 per cent of Canadians reported that they separate garbage and recyclables while 93 per cent make use of reusable shopping bags;
- 85 per cent donate clothes/other used goods and 75 per cent said they help their neighbors; and
- 58 per cent donate to community charities and one-third volunteer with local charities.
“These numbers clearly show that there’s a trend towards positive, constructive, individual activism that’s happening across our country. People realize that, if we all take action and make small changes, we can bring about big change,” said Fate Saghir, Head of Sustainability, Mackenzie Investments.
Ms. Saghir concluded by noting that the study also found that Canadians are calling on corporate Canada (79 per cent) and governments (77 per cent) to do more to develop and encourage a more sustainable world. “We’re not just asking ourselves to be changemakers, but also challenging companies and governments of all levels to play a greater role in building a better future. Canadians are telling us that everyone has a role to play - and they’re right.”
About Mackenzie Investments
Mackenzie Investments is a leading investment management firm with $205.5 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2022. Mackenzie provides investment solutions and related services to more than one million retail and institutional clients through multiple distribution channels. Founded in 1967, Mackenzie is a global asset manager with offices across Canada as well as in Boston, Dublin, London, Hong Kong and Beijing. Mackenzie is a member of IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM), one of Canada's premier financial services companies. For more information, visit mackenzieinvestments.com.
About the Pollara Study
This study was conducted with an online sample of 1,501 adult Canadians between March 31st and April 7th, 2022. Results from a random sample of this size can be considered accurate to within ±2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Results have been weighted by gender, age, and region, using the latest census data, to be representative of the Canadian population as a whole.
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