Desjardins boosts lineup of responsible investment products

In addition, subsidiary Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. (DGAM) unveiled eight RI ETFs.

“Responsible investing isn’t just a passing fad. It’s a concrete way for Desjardins members and clients to incorporate their social values into their financial decisions,” Guy Cormier, president and CEO of Desjardins Group says in a statement. “As a co-operative financial institution, Desjardins is a natural leader in the responsible investing movement. We’re determined to keep pace with other leaders in the sector — it’s what our members and clients want, and it’s the right thing to do.”

The three new additions to the SocieTerra lineup are:

• Emerging Markets Equity Fund, subadvised by Paris-based Comgest;
• International Equity Fund, subadvised by Montreal-based Addenda Capital, and
• Positive Change Fund, subadvised by Edinburgh-based Baillie Gifford Overseas.

The eight new RI ETFs are focused on reducing fossil fuel emissions. Of these, six will begin trading on the TSX today:

• Desjardins RI Canada Multifactor – Low CO₂ ETF (DRFC)
• Desjardins RI USA Multifactor – Low CO₂ ETF (DRFU)
• Desjardins RI Developed ex-USA ex-Canada Multifactor – Low CO₂ ETF (DRFD)
• Desjardins RI Canada – Low CO₂ Index ETF (DRMC)
• Desjardins RI USA – Low CO₂ Index ETF (DRMU)
• Desjardins RI Active Canadian Bond – Low CO₂ ETF (DRCU)

Management fees range from 0.25% to 0.60%.

The two remaining ETFs will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2018, DGAM says.

“We are proud to offer investors the first and broadest line-up of responsible investment ETFs in Canada. Our ETFs focus on climate change issues either by significantly reducing the carbon intensity of the portfolio or by avoiding investing in the fossil fuel sector outright,” Nicolas Richard, chief executive officer of DGAM, says in a statement.