McGill’s Sustainable Growth Initiative answers the call for businesses transitioning towards a sustainable economy
McGill University is proud to announce the launch of the Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI), a new hub dedicated to providing businesses with actionable solutions for building a more sustainable economy. In collaboration with academia, industry partners and policy makers, the cross-faculty venture will help businesses that aim for profitability while having a positive social and environmental impact achieve sustainable growth. Through research-to-action projects, engagement workshops, global student competitions, thought leadership and education, it will address some of the key challenges businesses face every day.
“In a post-pandemic landscape, the SGI will bring together academics, students, industry, and policy leaders to lead the charge at McGill on research, engagement, and education, and create practical solutions for businesses,” said Javad Nasiry, incoming SGI Director and Associate Professor of Operations Management at McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management.
“The goal is to align academic initiatives on sustainable growth with the priorities of industry leaders,” added Sebastien Betermier, SGI founding member and Associate Professor of Finance at Desautels.
The initiative will benefit from over $1.4 million in initial support from its founding partners: global alternative asset manager Power Sustainable, international management and holding company Power Corporation of Canada, institutional investor Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and global smart and sustainable mobility solutions leader Alstom, as well as individual donors.
“Power Sustainable is pleased to be one of the SGI’s instigators and to foster a community that will help further the development of solutions to complex business challenges through peer collaboration,” stated Olivier Desmarais, Chairman and CEO of Power Sustainable. “As an investment manager dedicated to sustainable development, we know first-hand the great value of investing in meaningful, lasting growth, both on the social and environmental fronts.”
“The CDPQ is proud to be one of the founding partners of this new initiative, which places ESG at the heart of its research priorities,” said Kim Thomassin, Executive Vice-President and Head of Quebec for CDPQ. “I am convinced that this partnership between the business and academic communities will allow the development of innovative solutions to support companies in the implementation of sustainable growth strategies.”
“Responding to complex sustainability challenges such as urbanization, climate change or the increasing need for mobility requires collective sharing of knowledge on good practices, solid business models and latest available technologies,” said Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas. “The SGI’s data-driven approach will allow for informed and comprehensive decisions by business and public decision makers on sustainable development in transportation. For Alstom, a globally recognized leader in sustainable mobility, it is a natural partnership”.
The financial contributions of Power Sustainable, Power Corporation of Canada, CDPQ and Alstom have catalyzed the SGI’s initial funding, opening it up to corporations and individuals who wish to support the initiative.
“We are grateful for the ground-breaking contributions from our founding partners and look forward to using this solid foundation to build the SGI into a fully fledged institute,” affirmed Yolande Chan, Dean of McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management. “It is our hope that the SGI inspires even more thinkers and doers to join us in this collaborative effort toward a brighter and greener future.”
Any individuals or corporations interested in partnering with the SGI can contact [email protected] (for corporations) or [email protected] (for individuals).
About McGill University
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, McGill University is Canada’s top ranked medical doctoral university. McGill is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning three campuses, 11 faculties, 13 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 39,000 students, including more than 10,400 graduate students. McGill attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,000 international students making up 30% of the student body. Over half of McGill students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 20% of our students who say French is their mother tongue. For more information, visit mcgill.ca.
About Power Sustainable
Power Sustainable is a global sustainable investment manager with offices in Canada, China, and the United States. We invest in companies and projects with the potential to deliver returns while contributing to decarbonization, social progress and quality growth. With approximately CAD $4.2B of assets under management, Power Sustainable deploys patient and purposeful capital in infrastructure, private equity, and public equities. For more information, visit www.powersustainable.com.
About Power Corporation
Power Corporation is an international management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe and Asia. Its core holdings are leading insurance, retirement, wealth management and investment businesses, including a portfolio of alternative asset investment platforms. To learn more, visit www.PowerCorporation.com.
About CDPQ
At Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), we invest constructively to generate sustainable returns over the long term. As a global investment group managing funds for public retirement and insurance plans, we work alongside our partners to build enterprises that drive performance and progress. We are active in the major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. As of December 31, 2021, CDPQ’s net assets totalled CAD 419.8 billion. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.
About Alstom
Leading societies to a low carbon future, Alstom develops and markets mobility solutions that provide sustainable foundations for the future of transportation. From high-speed trains, metros, monorails, trams, to turnkey systems, services, infrastructure, signalling and digital mobility, Alstom offers its diverse customers the broadest portfolio in the industry. 150,000 vehicles in commercial service worldwide attest to the company’s proven expertise in project management, innovation, design and technology. In 2021, the company was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, World and Europe, for the 11th consecutive time. Headquartered in France and present in 70 countries, Alstom employs more than 74,000 people. The Group posted revenues of €15.5 billion for the fiscal year ending on 31 March 2022. Log onto www.alstom.com for more information.
- 30 -