Socially responsible investing and financing sustinable development: a case study in Quebec

Since the beginning of 2000‚ a school of thought, inspired by sustainable development, has been spreading in the area of traditional finance. This approach, which has often been referred to as Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), aims to reconcile economic performance with social and environmental impact by financing companies and public bodies which contribute to sustainable development in all sectors of activity. Rosalie Vendette‚ senior SRI advisor at Mouvement Desjardins‚ the largest financial co-operative in Canada‚ explains the way in which SRI has evolved, how it operates in practical terms, the challenges it meets, and the impacts it can have on sustainable development.