Meritas Mutual Funds announced Friday that it has engaged Vancouver-based Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE) to help launch the most comprehensive shareholder action program in its history.

Sustainability reporting and human rights will be among the topics that Meritas will discuss with the senior management of some of Canada’s largest publicly traded companies.

Meritas is one of Canada’s leading providers of Socially Responsible Investments (SRI). As such, it is always encouraging the companies in its mutual funds to look at how they can improve their overall financial performance by improving their social and environmental performance. “Having an ongoing dialogue with the senior management of the companies in our portfolio has always been an integral part of SRI at Meritas Mutual Funds,” said Gary Hawton, CEO, in a news release. “Since the goal of Meritas Mutual Funds is to invest in the companies that represent the best blend of financial, environmental, social and governance policies and procedures, we want to provide the management of these companies with insight into the best practices in these areas. We think that can add value and reduce risk for our shareholders,” added Hawton.

“We are pleased to have Meritas Mutual Funds as a leading client for our shareholder engagement activities,” said Peter Chapman, executive director of SHARE. “By making this commitment to better dialogue with the companies that they own, Meritas Mutual Funds is demonstrating real leadership in the areas of corporate social responsibility and responsible investing.”