Toronto-based CI Investments Inc. has become an associate member of the Responsible Investment Association (RIA).

As a result, CI can now participate in the organization’s board and various committees. The RIA advocates for the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into investment management.

“We are dedicated to achieving the best possible risk-adjusted returns for our investors and believe responsible investing can play a role in accomplishing that goal,” says Neal Kerr, president, CI Institutional Asset Management, and executive vice president of investment management at CI Investments, in a statement.

CI had signed on as a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investing, a non-binding commitment that has close to 1,700 signatories, to better align investment strategies with ESG factors this past February.

“We are very pleased to welcome CI Investments as an associate member of the RIA,” says Deb Abbey, CEO of the RIA, in a statement. “We applaud their increased commitments to responsible investing, and we look forward to working with CI Investments to advance the incorporation of ESG criteria into Canadians’ investment decisions.”