Indigenous Relations

Resolution Text

SHAREHOLDER RESOLUTION FOR SUN LIFE FINANCIAL INC.

Resolved that: The board of directors report to shareholders on the extent to which our company’s policies and practices regarding Indigenous community relations, recruitment and advancement of Indigenous employees, internal education on Indigenous reconciliation, and procurement from Indigenous-owned businesses compare to or are certified by external Indigenous-led standards of practice.

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

To be responsive to the regulatory and reputational pressure related to Indigenous inclusion, many companies have developed internal programs or policies on Indigenous relations, recruitment of Indigenous employees, and procurement from Indigenous-owned businesses.

For investors, however, the breadth, depth, and content of these programs is impossible to determine. Facing inconsistent disclosure, the extent to which a company has effectively incorporated steps to address Indigenous inclusion and reconciliation is impossible to measure.

There are, however, externally-verified options for corporations to demonstrate that their programs meet standards developed by qualified Indigenous organizations, such as the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, which provides independent certification to corporations in Canada. Within Canada’s financial sector, this is already an established best practice: BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC, Deloitte, EY, ATB Financial, and Accenture have all achieved certification under the PAR program.

Lead Filer

Katherine Wheatley
Shareholder Association for Research and Education (SHARE)