Can’t Bring Your Own Cup

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Sustainable Development.

Description: McDonalds Canada is facing criticism for its reluctance to accept reusable coffee mugs at its restaurants; all of its restaurants, that is, except for those in Vancouver. Like many chains, McDonalds started to refuse reusable coffee mugs early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. But competitors such as Tim Hortons and Starbucks have reversed this policy… Read more »

Green Bonds

Posted by & filed under Advanced Accounting, Sustainable Development.

Description: This past week Ottawa carried out its first sale of green bonds. The federal government raised $5 billion in the transaction, with the proceeds slated to be directed towards fighting climate change. These bonds have an interest rate of 2.25%, two basis points lower than federal bonds of a similar maturity. Trevor Bateman, of… Read more »

Caisse Drops Oil

Posted by & filed under Financial Reporting and Analysis, Sustainable Development.

Description: Pension manager Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec – often simply referred to as the Caisse – plans to drop its investments in the oil business within the next year. Currently, this industry makes up about 1% of the Caisse’s approximately $400 billion in assets. The Caisse, like many other pension funds, has… Read more »

Sustainable Investing Prompts Disclosure

Posted by & filed under Sustainable Development.

Description: Sustainable investing is a hot topic, prompting growth in so-called sustainable funds. But since there is no one established definition of what sustainability means, investors and advisors are left with questions such as how much carbon is a company emitting. This has prompted a call from investors and fund developers for more hard data… Read more »

Apple Cuts e-Waste?

Posted by & filed under Sustainable Development.

Description: It’s often an exciting time when Apple unveils a new iPhone, and this past week seemed true to form as Tim Cook introduced the iPhone 12. One surprise for some was that Apple is not going to be including any charging adapters or earbuds with the smartphones. With so many chargers and headphones already… Read more »

RBC and the Arctic

Posted by & filed under Student life, Sustainable Development.

Description: On Friday RBC announced that it would not be funding new oil drilling projects in the Arctic. Neither would the giant bank be financing new coal-fired projects. Andrew Block, speaking on behalf of RBC, said “We are committed to finding ways to balance the transition to a low-carbon economy.” It will be interesting to… Read more »

Direction Change at BlackRock

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy, Sustainable Development.

Description: BlackRock, the largest manager of financial assets in the world, is making an about face on climate change. In a letter to CEOs, BlackRock signaled that the economy is “on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance” due to the threat of climate change. BlackRock is looking at dispensing with coal-related investments and… Read more »

Black Friday: Some Go For Sales; Others Protest

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy, Sustainable Development.

Description: Imported directly from the United States: that appears to be one way to describe the increasing popularity of retail sales in Canada on the day after the American Thanksgiving. This Black Friday trend is replacing Boxing Day as the landmark retail event for Canadian consumers. Meanwhile, other citizens in a number of cities worldwide… Read more »

Building Batteries

Posted by & filed under Sustainable Development.

Description: Lead – and lots of it – is still a big part of the battery business, particularly when it comes to batteries for motor vehicles. Lead batteries could also be a big component for the energy storage market as we head toward green sources of energy. The problem though is that lead and various… Read more »