ESG

The integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into investment decision-making processes, active ownership, and transparency are all examples of responsible investing. We think that substantial ESG issues may affect investment results; therefore, we are taking this approach. ESG factors play a significant role in our investment research and decision-making, especially when it comes to selecting investment managers and maintaining our commitment to active ownership and transparency.

We are a hands-on owner who uses ESG viewpoints to vote on proxies and engages with businesses on ESG-related issues. We’re committed to following and supporting best practices, such as the Responsible Investment Principles (PRI). Furthermore, we make our responsible investment actions public on this website and in our yearly reliable investing reports on a regular basis.

A2Z Venture’s approach to responsible investment has developed over time, and we’ve progressively taken a leading position in identifying, shaping, and promoting best practices. Several members of our senior management team, representing various parts of the company, have taken on leadership or advisory positions on professional committees, boards, and organizations dedicated to responsible investment.

A2Z Venture is delighted to announce the expansion of its Sustainability/ESG service, as social, environmental, and governance imperatives are becoming more important. There is a rising understanding that today’s business risks are increasingly based on ESG issues.

The ESG Initiative was created in response to increasing expectations from boards, investors, regulators, workers, customers, suppliers, and communities that businesses must demonstrate leadership on ESG or risk being penalized for lack of transparency and compliance. Central bankers, for example, are warning about the dangers of climate change. Activists on social media are raising public awareness and pushing down the share values of businesses that aren’t on board. Protests across the globe, such as Black Lives Matter, are pressuring corporations to strive toward a more fair and equal society. Sustainability is being highlighted as a key investment priority by major investment firms. The gender disparity can no longer be overlooked, according to the media. Governments are taking notice, enacting regulations to alter market behavior and levy higher prices.

The corporate governance landscape is quickly changing in the face of internal and external demand from investors, stakeholders, activists, and regulators for more sustainable ESG-focused governance models. The Sustainability/ESG Initiative will help boards of directors, C-suite executives, executive leadership teams, chief legal officers, general counsels, chief sustainability officers, and business managers develop and implement strategies to think about, manage, and report on ESG and sustainability issues.

More ambitious and entrepreneurial entrepreneurs are developing new businesses and technologies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, enhance environmental sustainability, and offer other climate-related solutions. These new ventures must deal with a variety of novel legal and regulatory issues, including corporate structuring, capital raising, shareholder relations, tax issues, and intellectual property, all of which necessitate a thorough understanding of the industry and expert advice to navigate new trends.

The Sustainability/ESG Initiative at A2Z Venture offers fully integrated ESG services. From clean energy mergers and acquisitions (and M&A possibilities driven by environmental concerns) to equity/diversity/inclusion and sustainable investment strategies, we assist businesses on important environmental, social, and governance elements of their company. We also assist businesses in determining what has to be done to achieve net-zero by 2050. Most importantly, we understand ESG risks and difficulties and provide the most value to you by providing a complete range of legal and commercial services under one roof.

We can assist businesses in identifying the dangers of environmental, social, and governance inactivity and how to convert those risks into opportunities for distinction at A2Z Venture. Stakeholders will expect businesses to be significantly more involved in social, governance, and environmental activities in Canada’s recovery plan. Corporate leaders have a chance to lead by fulfilling these expectations and bringing sustainable business models based on ESG principles to market in the future. We think that conducting business in a new way is critical, and evidence is mounting showing businesses that demonstrate a strong commitment to ESG outperform their competitors on key financial metrics, including financial performance, market valuation, and shareholder value generation.

A2Z Ventures can assist customers in all aspects of environmental, social, and governance:

• Advise clients with a focus on sustainability, environmental, social, and technological issues on how to take advantage of new possibilities in the capital markets (e.g., private placements, public offerings, strategic investments from private equity funds, stock exchange listings, and other ESG focused financial products).
• Advise potential targets and purchasers (issuers, funds, and financial institutions) on acquisitions and divestitures, as well as M&A decisions, including target selection, due diligence, integration, and corporate governance, with an emphasis on ESG concerns.
• Advise private equity companies, investment funds, and other privately-owned organizations such as family offices on how to incorporate ESG methods into their investment policies, governance structures, and decision-making responsibilities (such as Principles for Responsible Investment).
• Advising on the effect of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) problems on project structures, financing conditions, and funding sources, especially in the international joint-venture sector and for export-oriented Canadian clean-tech firms.

• Advising on creating and implementing novel green and sustainability-linked finance structures and conditions, including compliance with standards and guidelines such as the Green, Social, Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles and Equator Principles.
• Work with clients to get institutional and activist funds and other stakeholders involved in ESG issues.
• Advising on battery storage, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen projects’ funding, regulatory, and development problems.

• Advise boards of directors and management on fiduciary responsibilities and best practices for ESG oversight, including committee mandates, governance designs, and reacting to shareholder recommendations.
• Advise boards of directors and management on fiduciary responsibilities and best practices for ESG oversight, including committee mandates, governance designs, and reacting to shareholder recommendations.
• Advise on how to include ESG indicators into governance issues, including board composition, CEO pay, and stakeholder involvement, as well as peer group studies and benchmarking evaluations.
• Advise on ESG concerns emerging from governance rules, codes of conduct, and compliance programs, as well as best practices.
• Provide continuous ESG education and training to public company directors and officers and institutional investors, including how to respond to inquiries and comments from proxy advice firms like ISS and Glass Lewis.
• Assisting industry organizations or other groups in collaboratively pursuing sustainability/ESG problems in accordance with competition and other relevant regulatory obligations.

• Advise on inclusion policies, equity, and diversity, including racial equality problems, senior management and board of director composition, and the gender gap.
• Assist clients in addressing problems and opportunities related to employee, supplier, and customer concerns, as well as human rights, supply chain, and working conditions.
• Provide impact financing, associated governance, and fund creation advice to businesses, for-profit social enterprises, non-profit organizations, and hybrid entities.
• Consult with Indigenous communities on topics such as community consultation and engagement, joint venture negotiations, project support, impact benefit agreements, and interacting with local and Indigenous populations.
• Assist big corporations in managing and complying with anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws in the countries where they do business throughout their supply networks.

Government officials and regulators are concerned about sustainability and ESG issues. Through its associated public affairs division, A2Z Venture is ideally positioned to assist you in navigating the accountable public authorities and government ministries. Former Crown ministers, deputy ministers, chiefs of staff to Prime Ministers, and other top officials who appreciate the importance of successful advocacy and can assist you in making the right argument to the right people make up Vantage.

A2Z Venture is ideally positioned to bring your ESG agenda to the attention of public authorities at all levels of government, thanks to extensive government expertise and a wide network of connections. A2Z Venture can work together to help you minimize bureaucratic red tape, avoid regulatory uncertainty, and bring real value to your company. We can also assist you in managing your company’s reputation and developing new and deeper connections with civil society leaders and Canadians.

A2Z may prevent expensive redundancy by using the expert legal research of A2Z Venture team members while working with the legal team. A2Z offers the following services:

A2Z Venture has blazed new pathways in women’s empowerment. A2Z Venture has put a lot of effort into empowering women and promoting gender equity in the workplace throughout its existence.

Today, we are immensely proud of A2Z Venture’s gender parity program, which brings cutting-edge, progressive policies and tools to life in order to promote networking, leadership, and business development possibilities for women in the legal profession. The initiative’s goal is to foster a culture of intentional inclusion within the company. It includes in-house mentorship and internal and external professional development opportunities to help female attorneys and business professionals succeed. A2Z Venture also offers flexible work arrangements to attorneys and business professionals on an individual basis to accommodate other personal requirements.

We also know at A2Z Venture that, although the gender difference in carers has narrowed over the last generation, data indicates that women continue to shoulder most family caregiving duties. A2Z Venture is dedicated to leading the way in closing the gender gap in legal firms. We provide parental support, including a toolkit and a mentor, to help expectant and new parents manage their new family dynamics and professional responsibilities. This includes a mentor and a toolkit to assist them in entering into their parental leave and enjoying their time while planning a smooth return to work once the parental leave is completed. In addition, new moms are given several paid coaching sessions with an outside expert to help them with transition and reintegration problems. A2Z Venture also participates in several community projects, demonstrating leadership in advancing women in the workforce and law. Women at A2Z Venture LLP are prepared to excel at all of life’s milestones.