Do investors consider ESG?
What's more, new research from PwC has found that ESG is becoming a make-or-break consideration for leading investors worldwide. Nearly half of the investors surveyed (49 percent) expressed a willingness to divest from businesses not taking sufficient action on ESG-related issues.
Investors increasingly believe companies that perform well on ESG are less risky, better positioned for the long term and better prepared for uncertainty. Companies that realign to the stakeholder capitalism agenda may have a competitive advantage over those that try to return to business as usual.
The survey, which canvassed opinions from 250 C-suite executives and 250 global investors, also revealed that 84% of executives see ESG as a key to a more robust corporate strategy. Additionally, 85% of investors believe that ESG investments lead to better financial returns and more resilient investment portfolios.
The research, conducted by Research in Finance, found that almost two-thirds of respondents (65%) in 2021 said they considered ESG when investing, a figure which fell to 60% in 2022 before falling again to this year's figure of 53%.
This type of ethical investing strategy helps people align investment choices with personal values. ESG stands for environment, social and governance. ESG investors aim to buy the shares of companies that have demonstrated a willingness to improve their performance in these three areas.
“They may also argue that considering ESG factors could conflict with a fiduciary's duty to act in the best financial interests of plan participants. Some opponents also believe that ESG investing is politically motivated and could lead to biased investment decisions.”
One of the biggest criticisms of ESG is that it perpetuates what it was partly designed to stop – greenwashing.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the adoption of new rules that will require funds with names that suggest an investment focus on ESG or sustainability-related factors to invest at least 80% of the value of assets in accordance with those factors.
85% of investors considered ESG factors in their investment propositions.
In today's fast-evolving business landscape, embracing the principles of environmental, social and governance (ESG) isn't just a fleeting trend. A study by Morningstar found that 90% of companies either have or are developing an ESG strategy.
What is Amazon's ESG rating?
Company | ESG Risk Rating | Industry Rank |
---|---|---|
JD.com, Inc. | 24.3 Medium | 447 out of 516 |
Wayfair, Inc. | 25.7 Medium | 469 out of 516 |
Coupang, Inc. | 25.9 Medium | 473 out of 516 |
Amazon.com, Inc. | 30.2 High | 508 out of 516 |
Name | Total ESG Risk score | S |
---|---|---|
BAMXF BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG | 25 | 11 |
TSLA Tesla, Inc. | 25 | 14 |
SZKMF SUZUKI MOTOR CORP | 25 | 9 |
DAIN.MX DAIN.MX | 22 | 7 |
The survey showed that 32 percent of U.S. institutional investors use ESG considerations in their portfolios. Canadian institutions are more aligned with global investors, with 53 percent employing ESG in their investment process.
Successful companies are implementing ESG strategies that increase financial, societal, and environmental impact as well as ensure long-term competitiveness.
However, there are also some cons to ESG investing. First, ESG funds may carry higher-than-average expense ratios. This is because ESG investing requires more research and due diligence, which can be costly. Second, ESG investing can be subjective.
So where does the term ESG come from? The first group to coin the phrase ESG was the United Nations Environment Programme Initiative in the Freshfields Report in October 2005.
The ESG movement, originally driven by good intentions, has been co-opted by lobbyists, special interest groups and various NGOs, and recent reviews have revealed its lackluster performance in creating meaningful environmental change and have highlighted chronic abuse of flawed methodologies.
Republican politicians have criticized ESG because they say they consider it an effort to use financial tools for the purpose of advancing liberal political goals.
Data collected as recently as October 2023 confirms that ESG is not going anywhere. While some companies are softly retreating to terminology like “corporate responsibility” or “sustainability,” the substance that makes up the components of their ESG programs and goals is sticking because stakeholders demand it.
There are a Few Common Arguments Made by Skeptics of ESG Investing: ESG factors are subjective and not quantifiable: Some argue that ESG factors are too difficult to measure and compare, making it hard to determine the true impact of a company's performance in these areas.
Who is pushing ESG investing?
Larry Fink is caught in the middle of the heated climate change debate. The CEO of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has become a lightning rod for criticism from conservatives due to his push for environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing over the past few years.
Amidst this global trend, BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, has taken a bold step by transitioning its investment strategy from ESG investing to a broader approach called transition investing. This move has significant implications not only for BlackRock but for the entire financial industry.
Similar anti-ESG bills were also passed in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Texas, and Utah.
Congress in March passed a Republican-backed resolution to repeal the rule but Biden, a Democrat, vetoed it. ESG involves factors that investors may take into account such as a company's climate- and environment-related policies, diversity practices and corporate governance issues such as executive compensation.
22 states that have adopted some form of ESG-related laws. 18 states that have adopted “anti-ESG” legislation. 14 states that adopted “anti-ESG” legislation in the 2023 legislative session.
References
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