Novisto, a Montreal-based developer of a corporate sustainability platform, has partnered with and received an investment from La Caisse. Novisto’s CEO Charles Assaf calls it the “next chapter” for the company.

Used by corporate sustainability practitioners for capturing and reporting environmental, social and governance metrics, Novisto’s clients include Sun Life, Bell, Moderna, Deutsche Bank, Circle K and Sanofi.

La Caisse, the manager of one of Canada’s largest pension funds with $517 billion in net assets as of Dec. 31, 2025, will look to provide Novisto’s technology to its portfolio companies.

Knowing La Caisse and its “ambitious sustainability investment strategy,” the opportunity came for “multidimensional partnership,” which Novisto took up, Assaf said in an interview with Sustainable Biz Canada.

Novisto’s sustainability platform

Novisto’s platform is used to track and manage a company’s sustainability metrics such as energy and water use, and carbon footprint. Assaf described it as an “accounting-like platform for sustainability-related information,” helping with planning to meet targets and aligning with reporting standards while being transparent.

Its technology helps report on sustainability data effectively and fluidly, he continued, which Novisto says lets companies focus on analysis and action. This means spending less time on sustainability disclosures and reporting.

To enhance its greenhouse gas emission calculation and reporting capabilities, Novisto acquired London-based carbon management software company Minimum in late March. Prior to that, Novisto offered Minimum’s services under a partnership. Now it is a module provided to Novisto customers, Assaf said.

Novisto’s partnership with La Caisse

Novisto and La Caisse had collaborated in the past, Assaf said. Novisto’s platform was used by La Caisse’s portfolio companies such as Boralex, Couche-Tard and CAE.

La Caisse is clear about its climate and sustainability strategy, he said, aligning with Novisto's philosophy that “without reliable sustainability data, we can’t really drive decision-making.”

La Caisse, formerly CDPQ, reported its climate investments totalled $226 billion by the end of 2025, putting in an additional $68 billion from 2024. Montreal-based La Caisse is one of Canada’s best performers in sustainability with one of the most aggressive climate targets among the country's pension funds.

In its climate strategy for 2025-30, La Caisse pledged to “accelerate the decarbonization of companies and significantly increase transition-related investments.” Its aim is to grow its climate action investments to $400 billion by 2030, with the goal of having a carbon-neutral portfolio in 2050.

While he would not disclose the terms of the investment, Assaf said the partnership will help Novisto become a global sustainability technology company.

For example, its platform can assist La Caisse in tracking the sustainability performance of the companies it invests in and help with strategy, or meet regulatory requirements.

“I really believe that this is an unlock for many of the companies,” Assaf said.

Companies looking beyond political opposition to sustainability

Novisto is bullish on the future of corporate sustainability reporting, pointing to regulatory boosts such as the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

The CSRD mandates companies of certain sizes to report on sustainability measures if they operate in the bloc, Assaf said. California’s climate disclosure laws and Australia’s mandatory corporate sustainability reporting are also important, he added.

Assaf is optimistic despite some turns against corporate sustainability, such as Canada’s biggest banks retreating on their climate goals, the Investors for Paris Compliance group closing down and corporate sustainability in the U.S. operating under more uncertainty due to obstacles set by the federal government.

The main driver of sustainability reporting in the world is not politics and media sentiment, Assaf said, but the push for regulatory compliance. Chief executives believe sustainability reporting adds value and helps with risk management, he said.

“Companies look beyond an administration cycle. They’re planning for the next three to five years and they see that this is the trend.”