Case study on the Regroupement pour la responsabilité sociale des entreprises

Justification of research project

Between 1999 and 2026, the Regroupement sur la responsabilité sociale des entreprises (RRSE) played a pioneering role in the emergence of socially responsible investing (SRI) and shareholder activism in Quebec. Born out of religious communities that acquired new financial assets following the Quiet Revolution, the RRSE transformed an ethical concern—that “the right hand should not undo what the left hand does”—into structured practices of dialogue with companies, the filing of shareholder proposals, and the training of its members.

Research purpose

This research on the history of the RRSE aims first and foremost to rigorously document the entire trajectory of a pioneer in shareholder activism in Quebec, from its religious roots to its planned closure.

It then seeks to understand how the RRSE translated values of social and environmental justice into concrete financial practices, and how these practices became institutionalized, notably through the creation of Æquo.

Finally, the study aims to analyze the conditions that led to the organization’s sustainability and vulnerability, as well as the mechanisms put in place to organize its legacy—tools, archives, and partnerships—in order to inform other organizations facing similar challenges of transition and transformation.

Research approach

The research was conducted in two main complementary phases.

• • The first phase, which began around 2020, traced the historical trajectory of the RRSE from its religious origins to the creation of Æquo, documenting its shareholder engagement campaigns, its alliances, and the development of its nonprofit model.
  • The second phase was launched to track the years of revitalization, professionalization, and ultimately the deliberation leading to the decision to close the RRSE. It analyzes governance, finances, the repositioning alongside Æquo, and the mechanisms for transferring assets (tools, archives, calls for projects) in order to understand how the mission was organized to outlive the organizational vehicle.