Effectively Communicating Triple Bottom Line: Investor Appetite for CSR at TransCanada

Triple bottom line is the nexus between the environmental, societal and financial performance of an organization. The corporate social responsibility (CSR) department of TransCanada is responsible for strategy & communication of information related to the environmental and social performance of the firm. This information is intended for use by a wide variety of stakeholders, including shareholders and potential investors, who are interested in understanding the context of non-financial performance in driving corporate profits. While research supports that at a societal level, shareholders are increasingly using this information to inform their investment decisions, firms are currently struggling with understanding the appetite and expectations of investors for communication at the company level. This research project aims to capture this information, through a survey of current retail and institutional investors at TransCanada and a broader characterization of the current interests and appetites of socially responsible, retail and institutional investors. A potential communication strategy will be developed to allow TransCanada’s investor relations and CSR teams to better communicate the business case for sustainability to potential and current shareholders.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Irene Herremans

Student:

Ariel Kangasniemi

Partner:

TransCanada Corporation

Discipline:

Business

Sector:

Oil and gas

University:

University of Calgary