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New West woman appointed to Order of British Columbia

A New West woman has received the provincial government’s highest honour. Deborah Abbey is one of fourteen citizens appointed to the Order of British Columbia.
deb abbey
New West woman Deb Abbey has been awarded the Order of British Columbia.

A New West woman has received the provincial government’s highest honour.

Deborah Abbey is one of fourteen citizens appointed to the Order of British Columbia. She is being recognized for her work as an author, media spokesperson and champion for responsible and sustainable investing.

Last weekend, Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin, who is the chancellor of the order, thanked the recipients for their contributions.

“These exceptional recipients are pillars of our communities who have demonstrated excellence and distinction in their fields,” she said in a press release.

Abbey has been credited for inspiring some of the largest financial institutions in Canada to reduce the impact of climate change by how they do business. In the ‘90s, she launched Canada’s first investment company focused exclusively on responsible investment, which offered fossil-fuel-free mutual funds to investors.

She also published two books encouraging this type of responsible investment: Global Profit and Global Justice: Using Your Money to Change the World (2004) and The 50 Best Ethical Stocks for Canadians (2000).

More than 200 people were nominated for the honour this year. Since it was created in 1989, 432 British Columbians have been appointed to the order from across the province.