Investors Group is expanding its Summa Fund Family by offering two new socially responsible investment funds.

The fund family now includes the Investors Summa SRI Fund, Canada’s largest socially responsible investing fund established in 1987, and the newly launched Investors Summa Global SRI Fund and Investors Summa Global Environmental Leaders Fund.

Corporate Class versions of each mandate are also available today.

“Our research shows that one-in-three Canadians say that socially responsible investing is more important to them today than it was five years ago,” says John Wiltshire, senior vp of product and financial planning at Investors Group. “The expanded Investors Summa Fund Family provides a comprehensive range of options for the growing numbers of Canadians who want to invest some, or all of their savings in environmental and socially responsible funds.”

The Investors Summa SRI Fund is primarily invested in Canadian equities. The launch of Summa Global SRI Fund affords investors the opportunity for greater exposure to globally diversified investments.

Summa Global Environmental Leaders Fund will focus on companies that are creating innovative or emerging solutions to environmental issues, such as climate change, water scarcity, and pollution. In addition, the fund intends to invest in companies with environmental practices that set a standard within environmentally sensitive industries.

“Increasingly, investment decisions are less a conflict between profitability and environmental responsibility,” says Dan McClure, co-portfolio manager of Investors Summa SRI Fund and portfolio manager of Investors Summa Global Environmental Leaders Fund. “Companies that are strong on the environment are, by and large, well managed companies that represent a strong investment opportunity.”

According to the findings of a recent Harris/Decima Research poll commissioned by Investors Group, 56% of Canadians believe environmental considerations are an important part of any socially responsible investment decision. Other socially responsible investment factors ranked by Canadians as important include prohibitions against: alcohol or tobacco investments (42%); weapons (53%); child labour (79%) and poor human rights practices (70%).

A total of 2,055 surveys were completed with Canadian adults between September 4 and September 13.