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For a long time, investment focused on financial returns and risk management, with little regard for social or environmental impacts. Capital flowed into traditional sectors (oil, mining, infrastructure) or high-growth technologies, with the idea that wealth creation would ultimately benefit the community.
Today, a different logic is emerging: investing directly in promising projects rooted in our communities and our social and environmental realities. Finance that not only creates value from the outset, but also contributes to lasting change.
An overview of inspiring models
According to a survey conducted by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, 76% of Montreal companies consider it important to go green, and almost half of them say it strengthens their competitiveness1. A revealing statistic which suggests that environmental initiatives are not limited to marketing strategies alone, but take the form of concrete measures, integrated into business strategies, which have a real impact on a company's competitiveness.
UTILE (Unité de travail pour l'implantation de logement étudiant) is a fine example. This social economy enterprise builds affordable housing for students, while innovating in the field of construction. Thanks to a non-profit revolving fund, UTILE is able to finance its projects in a sustainable manner. The result: 13 completed real estate projects, including 8 in Montreal, totalling 2,088 apartments for a total investment of $554 million2.On the philanthropic front, the Foundation of Greater Montreal (FGM) focuses on making donations grow through responsible funds. The returns generated are then redistributed each year to hundreds of community organizations. This model not only supports causes in a sustainable way, but also aligns investments with ESG values. A gesture that has four times the impact, according to the FGM.
In the venture capital world, Cycle Capital invests in companies that reduce GHG emissions, improve industrial efficiency and promote corporate diversity. By combining financial rigor with measurable ESG criteria, their approach demonstrates that performance and impact are not incompatible. Other key players in the social economy, such as the Réseau d'investissement social du Québec and the CAP Finance social finance fund, also contribute to the financing of high-impact projects. As for angel investors, Anges Québec also stands out: in 2024, 6% of transactions were directed towards the environmental technologies sector3.What if creative marketing got involved too? The Republik agency has come up with the Social Capital Index, a tool to help brands align their actions with their words. Because in a world saturated with messages, companies that do what they say really stand out.
These approaches demonstrate that we can combine performance and responsibility while supporting concrete solutions for our communities. With 76% of Montreal companies in favor of going green, sustainable finance could become a common reflex.1 https://www.ccmm.ca/fr/publications/transition-verte-en-periode-d-incertitude/
2 https://www.utile.org/fr/projets
3 https://reseaucapital.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/t4-2024-annuel-quebec-fr-copie.pdf . p. 9
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