The non-profit sector does so much good in the world, why the heck do they define themselves in the negative?  Of course this sector is suffering from an identity crisis!  Even though the sector accounts for 7% of Canada’s GDP - a bigger share than our extractive resource industry -  it doesn’t get the attention or influence it deserves.

So thrilled to present in front of more than 130 people at last night's event graciously hosted by the Centre for Social Innovation - Regent Park!

It was a fun-filled event, showcasing 13 different impact investment leaders.  Here is my slideshow from the evening:

Almost three years ago, I met Randy Kapashesit, Chief of the MoCreebec people.  We grabbed a coffee in Toronto near UofT.  We got to talking, and ended up spending a couple of hours chatting about the idea of a sustainable local economy.  Randy loved it when I told him that economics and ecology share the same greek root - oikos - meaning ‘household’.  Economics means the management of the household (ensuring food, budgeting, etc.) while ecology means the study of the household (this land, our home).  We laughed at the absurdity of separating economics from environment, especially here in Canada where the environment IS the economy.  He loved the idea of biomimcy and hoped that the MoCreebec could mimic a thriving ecosystem, teeming with beauty and life.

Size = Up to 12 GW; Cost = ??

Completion Date: ??

Size: 1GW; ¥18.8 billion (US$ 200 Million)

Completion Date: 2015

Size: 1 Gigawatt; 105 billion Rupees (US$ 2.3 Billion)

Completion Date: December, 2013

Size: 700 hectars; 40,000 residents; US$ 22 Billion

Completion Date: 2025

Size: More than 125 Gigawatts; €400 Billion

Completion Date: 2050

Investing comes with risk. This article is a general discussion of the merits and risks associated with these ETFs, not a specific recommendation. Speak to an investment professional and make sure your portfolio is diversified. Tim Nash owns shares of PZD. Tim does not own shares of the other ETF mentioned in this article.

An article in today’s Globe & Mail describes the recent woes of oil sands investors.  High labour costs, regional markets, and pipeline protests are all spelling trouble for companies that have been expanding at rates that are hardly sustainable (by any definition of the word). And the article doesn’t even mention China’s new carbon tax that could change the geopolitical game on climate change.