Responsible investing

Learn about our approach and our responsible investment (RI) product lineup.

Our responsible investment products

Doing our part to build a responsible, sustainable economy is part of our values. We've been fine-tuning our responsible investment products for 30+ years to provide you with choices that stay true to who you are. Here's our range of diversified RI options designed to help you achieve your goals.

SocieTerra Funds and Portfolios

You can grow your money with responsible investment funds that combine good return potential with a positive impact on the environment and communities.

21 funds and 6 portfolios
Multiple RI strategies used to select companies and encourage them to improve their ESG practices
Eligible under most plans (such as RRSP, TFSA, RRIF, LIRA, LIF, RLSP and group RRSP) and non-registered accounts
Risk profile: Low to moderate

Market-linked guaranteed investments – responsible options

Tap into stock market growth potential without risking your money by monitoring the performance of businesses that have been carefully selected for their ESG commitment.

2 portfolios and 2 thematic investments
Eligible under most plans (TFSA, RRSP, FTA, LIRA, locked-in RRSP, RRIF, LIF and RDSP) and non-registered accounts
The money you invest is 100% guaranteed at maturity
Risk profile: Low

Guaranteed investment funds – RI Helios2 Contract

You can grow your savings with responsible investment funds, but with additional protection.

6 SocieTerra Portfolios
Multiple RI strategies used to select companies and encourage them to improve their ESG practices
Eligible under most plans (RRSP, TFSA, RRIF, LIRA and LIF) and non-registered accounts
Choice of 3 guarantees to protect your savings or your estate

Responsible annuities

Get a responsible annuity and receive a regular income for a set period or until death.

Responsible investment approach in managing premiums that we're entrusted with
Annuity can be combined with a registered retirement income fund (RRIF) or a life income fund (LIF)
Fixed return for the duration of the payment period
Index option where retirement income can be adjusted annually

What is responsible investing?

Responsible investing means taking environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into account when selecting and managing investments, in addition to traditional financial analysis. By doing this, we choose companies that contribute to sustainable development.

4 reasons to choose responsible investment

Return potentials that are just as good

In the long run, the potential returns of responsible investments are just as good and sometimes better1 than traditional investments. You can invest without compromising on returns while staying true to your values.

Better risk management

Companies that value ESG criteria are better equipped to manage risk, which potentially increases returns.2

Carefully selected companies

We assess the ESG practices and financial health of each company. SocieTerra products exclude companies that specialize in fossil fuels as well as those who operate in the arms3, nuclear energy and tobacco industries.2

Shareholder engagement

We engage in an ongoing dialogue with the companies we select to ensure they are upholding their commitment. We also encourage them to improve their ESG practices. We vote at shareholder assemblies and submit shareholder proposals when appropriate.4

ESG criteria

We use the following environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria to evaluate which companies to invest in:

Environmental

We choose companies with policies and practices that respect the environment.

These include policies that:

Fight against climate change
Protect forests and biodiversity
Reduce greenhouse gases

Social

We choose companies that are involved in their communities and treat all their workers fairly.

These include companies that:

Respect and protect the rights of children
Respect the rights of workers
Provide healthcare, food security and education

Governance

We select companies that have healthy management practices.

These practices might include:

Diversity on boards of directors
Fair compensation for management (incentives and bonuses)

Products that create a real, positive impact

Choosing to invest in one of our responsible investment products allows selected companies to make positive impacts on the community and environment.

For example, based on an estimated investment of $10 million in 2022,5 companies that Desjardins Sustainable Positive Change Fund invested in contributed to:

Avoiding 3,570 tonnes of CO2 emissions,6 or the equivalent of the CO2 emissions produced by 862 cars in one year7

Providing access to education and/or training to 13,097 registered learners5

Providing access to financial services to at least 3,686 people$5

Learn more about the positive impacts of Sustainable products

Contact us

By phone

Montreal area:
514-224-7737 Phone number of customer service for the Montreal area. This link opens your phone app. (514-CAISSES)

Elsewhere in Canada and the US:
1-800-224-7737 Phone number of customer service for Canada and the US. This link opens your phone app. (1-800-CAISSES)

We can also call you when it's convenient.

Schedule a call

More about responsible investing

Topic: Investment 5 great reasons to choose responsible investment March 27, 2024
Topic: Investment 4 myths about responsible investment October 4, 2024

Source: Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited. Contributions are based on the annual impact of the assets held in the Desjardins Sustainable Positive Change Fund portfolio as at December 31, 2023. Data is collected from each company held in the Fund regarding their impact at the end of their fiscal year. For holdings that have been in the portfolio for less than a full year, no attempt is made to pro-rate the contribution. However, as we have a long-term horizon and aim to invest in our holdings for 5 to 10 years or longer, portfolio turnover will be low. Aggregate impact data, while providing an indication of the impact of the portfolio, is vulnerable to inconsistencies. This may be caused by underlying assumptions: How companies measure and report is not always uniform. We also engage with companies to better understand how they compile data. Only data related to the positive impacts of the products and services of the companies in the portfolio (those that they produce or sell) is included. Where information is not available, or where a company does not report a verifiable result, its contribution is not estimated or included in the aggregate. Where a security was divested during the current year, its contribution is not included. Data for tonnes of CO2e saved is based on company reporting, which is either in CO2 or CO2e; the aggregate data is presented as CO2e as this is the most conservative approach. Data related to healthcare, prevention and disease expenses is to-date and covers multiple years. The data for each company is divided by its market capitalization in US dollars, and then multiplied by the percentage weighting of that company in the portfolio (as at December 31, 2023). The result is then pro-rated and converted to the value entered: CAN$10 million.

Source: Impax Asset Management Limited. A strategy’s past performance does not guarantee future performance. Impact of CAN$10 million invested in the strategy for one year. Based on the most recently published annual environmental data for Desjardins Sustainable Cleantech Fund holdings on December 31, 2023. The impact methodology used by Impax is based on the company’s net value. The information in this document is provided solely for illustration and discussion purposes and may be changed without warning. The information and opinions in this document have been compiled in good faith, but Impax makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to their accuracy, completeness or correctness. Impax, its officers, employees, representatives and agents expressly advise that they will not be liable in any respect whatsoever for any loss or damage, whether direct, indirect, consequential or otherwise, arising (whether from negligence or otherwise) out of or in connection with the content of or any omissions from this document. This document does not constitute an offer to sell, purchase, subscribe to or otherwise invest in units or shares of any fund managed by Impax.
Environmental metrics for all portfolio companies were measured where data was available or could be estimated, considering their relevance with regards to their business activities. The analysis included all companies in which the strategies were invested as at 31 December 2023. At the time of preparation, Impax aimed to obtain the most recently available and commonly collected environmental data from investee companies. Impax collected relevant data from company disclosures, including sources such as annual reports, CDP and sustainability reports. Where information was not available, Impax contacted companies to request additional disclosure, which in some cases produced additional relevant data.However, some companies could not/did not provide information on several metrics. For missing environmental impact data, industry or academic data was sought in order to set robust assumptions. In cases where robust data could not be found, zero impact was reported for a company in order to adopt a conservative approach. The percentage owned in each underlying company (calculated based on the proportion of shares owned) as at 31 December 2023 was applied to measure the environmental benefit attributable to the strategies. Among companies for which avoided emissions data was relevant, Impax collected data from 55% of them, estimated data for 25% of them, and reported zero data for 20% of them given the lack of robust data. Among companies for which data on water provided, saved or treated was relevant, Impax collected data from 56% of them, estimated data for 22% of them and reported zero data for 22% of them given the lack of robust data. Among companies for which data on materials recovered or treated was relevant, Impax collected data for 89% of them and estimated data for 11% of them. Among companies for which renewable electricity generated data was relevant, Impax collected data for 100% of them.

Learn more about calculating the CO2 emissions of a car with annual kilometrage of 20,000 km