Anyone can own shares in a company, but active owners go further. By exercising their rights as shareholders, active owners can influence companies to change their behaviour not just for the benefit of investors, but for society and the environment as well. Active ownership is an umbrella term that brings together three main activities.
Through corporate dialogues we talk directly with companies in a spirt of collaboration. We encourage them to improve their ESG performance in support of long-term value creation that benefits all stakeholders.
Filing a shareholder resolution is a way for investors to compel a company to take action by way of a vote, though it is not binding. It is a step we may take when corporate dialogue fails.
Proxy voting is an essential responsibility of active owners. It can influence everything from the diversity and independence of board members to oversight of human rights and climate strategy. We vote all proxies for all relevant funds in our lineup.
Beyond active ownership lies policy advocacy. Engaging on policy and standards in Canada and globally enables us to create system-wide change. Whether we are talking with policymakers, regulators, standard setters, or industry associations, the time and energy we dedicate to this area can raise the bar for everyone.
Active ownership is the responsible investment strategy we employ most. It is applied to nearly all our funds. In the tables below, click anywhere in the highlighted row to visit the fund details page. You will find descriptions of the responsible investment strategies below the tables.
| Fund Name | Responsible investment strategy | Portfolio manager or sub advisor |
|---|---|---|
|
NEI Canadian Impact Bond Fund
|
Addenda Capital Go to link | |
|
NEI Global Impact Bond Fund**
|
Wellington Management Go to link | |
|
NEI Global Total Return Bond Fund**
|
Amundi Asset Management Go to link |
| Fund Name | Responsible investment strategy | Portfolio manager or sub advisor |
|---|---|---|
|
NEI Balanced Yield Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Conservative Yield Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Global Sustainable Balanced Fund
|
Impax Asset Management Go to link | |
|
NEI Growth & Income Fund*
|
Letko Brosseau Go to link |
| Fund Name | Responsible investment strategy | Portfolio manager or sub advisor |
|---|---|---|
|
NEI Canadian Dividend Fund
|
Lincluden Investment Management Go to link | |
|
NEI Canadian Equity Fund*
|
Letko Brosseau Go to link | |
|
NEI Canadian Equity RS Fund
|
QV Investors Go to link | |
|
NEI Canadian Small Cap Equity Fund
|
Hillsdale Investment Management Go to link | |
|
NEI Canadian Small Cap Equity RS Fund
|
QV Investors Go to link | |
|
NEI ESG Canadian Enhanced Index Fund
|
NEI Investments Go to link |
| Fund Name | Responsible investment strategy | Portfolio manager or sub advisor |
|---|---|---|
|
NEI US Dividend Fund
|
River Road Asset Management Go to link | |
|
NEI US Equity RS Fund
|
AllianceBernstein Go to link |
| Fund Name | Responsible investment strategy | Portfolio manager or sub advisor |
|---|---|---|
|
NEI Clean Infrastructure Fund
|
Ecofin Advisors Go to link | |
|
NEI Emerging Markets Fund
|
Columbia Threadneedle Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Environmental Leaders Fund
|
Impax Asset Management Go to link | |
|
NEI Global Dividend RS Fund
|
Amundi Asset Management Go to link | |
|
NEI Global Equity RS Fund
|
Federated Hermes Go to link | |
|
NEI Global Growth Fund
|
Baillie Gifford Go to link | |
|
NEI Global Value Fund
|
Maj Invest Go to link | |
|
NEI International Equity RS Fund
|
Addenda Capital Go to link |
| Fund Name | Responsible investment strategy | Portfolio manager or sub advisor |
|---|---|---|
|
NEI Select Income RS Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Select Income & Growth RS Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Select Balanced RS Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Select Growth & Income RS Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Select Growth RS Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Select Maximum Growth RS Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link |
| Fund Name | Responsible investment strategy | Portfolio manager or sub advisor |
|---|---|---|
|
NEI Impact Conservative Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Impact Balanced Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link | |
|
NEI Impact Growth Portfolio
|
NEI Investments Go to link |
| Fund Name | Responsible investment strategy | Portfolio manager or sub advisor |
|---|---|---|
|
NEI Long Short Equity Fund
|
Picton Mahoney Asset Management Go to link |
Our funds employ up to four responsible investment strategies: exclusionary screens, ESG integration, impact & thematic, and active ownership.
You will see on the right we have included an icon for fossil fuel exclusions. While we do not consider that to be a distinct responsible investment strategy, we do believe it’s useful for investors to be able to identify those funds at a glance.
We use our rights as shareholders to influence corporate behaviour. Tools include corporate dialogue, proxy voting, and shareholder proposals.
If you would like to stay on top of the latest trends in responsible investing, we can help.
*Formerly NEI Global Equity Fund.
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.
