Why is ESG good for investors?
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.
An ESG criteria is thought to help investors consider the 'unmeasured' or 'unrepresented' environmental, social and governance topics when making investment decisions. It reveals data that traditional financial analysis doesn't usually capture, speaking to a company's sustainability in its broadest sense.
2. Cost reductions ESG can also reduce costs substantially. Among other advantages, executing ESG effectively can help combat rising operating expenses (such as raw-material costs and the true cost of water or carbon), which McKinsey research has found can affect operating profits by as much as 60 percent.
ESG also helps investors to steer clear of potential financial risks linked to poor environmental or societal practices. How can ESG benefit business? ESG can help businesses to manage potential operational, regulatory, and reputational risks to ensure long-term resilience and success.
The Bottom Line. ESG investing focuses on companies that follow positive environmental, social, and governance principles. Investors are increasingly eager to align their portfolios with ESG-related companies and fund providers, making it an area of growth with positive effects on society and the environment.
Retail investors do care a lot about the ESG-related activities of the firms they invest in, but only to the extent that they impact firm performance, independent of ESG performance.
Sustainable or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing considers factors beyond traditional financial analysis. This may limit available investments and cause performance and exposures to differ from, and potentially be more concentrated in certain areas than the broader market.
These metrics offer insights into a company's climate change risks, operational efficiency, governance quality and workplace culture, thereby influencing long-term value creation and financial performance. By leveraging ESG data, investors can make more informed decisions, aligning financial and sustainability goals.
ESG means using Environmental, Social and Governance factors to assess the sustainability of companies and countries. These three factors are seen as best embodying the three major challenges facing corporations and wider society, now encompassing climate change, human rights and adherence to laws.
Since ESG reports summarize the qualitative and quantitative benefits of a company's ESG activities, investors can screen investments, align investments to their values, and avoid companies with the risk of environmental damage, social missteps or corruption.
What are the pros and cons of ESG investment?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can help investors diversify their portfolio | ESG funds may carry higher than average expense ratios |
| May reduce portfolio risk | ESG investing is still a fairly new concept and there isn't a ton of reporting on performance |
One of the biggest criticisms of ESG is that it perpetuates what it was partly designed to stop – greenwashing.
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.
- Environmental – this has to do with an organisation's impact on the planet.
- Social – this has to do with the impact an organisation has on people, including staff and customers and the community.
- Governance – this has to do with how an organisation is governed. Is it governed transparently?
The term ESG first came to prominence in a 2004 report titled "Who Cares Wins", which was a joint initiative of financial institutions at the invitation of the United Nations (UN).
Successful companies are implementing ESG strategies that increase financial, societal, and environmental impact as well as ensure long-term competitiveness.
ESG risks, when poorly managed, can have a significant impact on a company's reputation, finances and long-term viability. The effect of these risks can range from fines and legal penalties to loss of customer, employee and investor confidence.
89 percent of investors consider ESG issues in some form as part of their investment approach, according to a 2022 study by asset management firm Capital Group.
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%.
Although financial industry groups claim that one-third of all investment assets are already sustainable, our research shows most ESG investing actually does not create any meaningful sustainability impact.
Why do people care about ESG?
They believe socially responsible investing would pay off because it helps companies avoid material financial risks from climate change, labor disputes, human rights concerns in a company's supply chains, and poor corporate governance and related litigation.
ESG stands for environmental, social and governance. These are called pillars in ESG frameworks and represent the 3 main topic areas that companies are expected to report in. The goal of ESG is to capture all the non-financial risks and opportunities inherent to a company's day to day activities.
- Reduce emissions across all operations (scope 1, 2, and 3)
- Invest $1 billion to accelerate technology development and deployment of new climate innovations.
- Purchase carbon removal credits.
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.
Is ESG reporting mandatory in the United States? There is currently no federal mandate for ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting in the United States. However, there are various initiatives and regulations that require companies to disclose certain ESG information.
References
- https://www.kroll.com/en/about-us/news/kroll-study-shows-stronger-investment-returns-companies-high-esg-ratings
- https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-does-esg-emphasis-impact-a-companys-value/
- https://explorer.aapg.org/story/articleid/65165/is-there-a-dark-side-to-esg
- https://www.janushenderson.com/en-gb/investor/article/what-is-esg-and-why-do-we-care/
- https://climateimpact.edhec.edu/does-esg-investing-improve-risk-adjusted-performance
- https://sustainability-news.net/esg/what-is-an-esg-strategy-environmental-social-governance/
- https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/sustainability/how-we-help-clients/sustainability-and-social-impact-strategies/environmental-social-and-governance
- https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/why-esg-investing-might-never-recover-7aa9e7c9
- https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/what-financial-advisors-have-to-say-about-the-esg-controversy
- https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/environmental-social-and-governance-esg-criteria.asp
- https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/the-abcs-of-esg-reporting
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2023/05/22/woke-esg-investing-americans-care-less/70244847007/
- https://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/apac/en/insights/markets-and-investing/how-smart-esg-investing-could-boost-portfolio-returns
- https://theconversation.com/who-decides-what-esg-is-and-how-to-make-investments-greener-new-research-208779
- https://www.ibm.com/blog/environmental-social-and-governance-history/
- https://www.usbank.com/investing/financial-perspectives/investing-insights/what-is-greenwashing.html
- https://simplysustainable.com/insights/why-esg-ratings-matter-and-how-companies-use-them
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/esg-investing-practices-progress-challenges-santosh-g-kjbyc
- https://www.bankrate.com/investing/esg-investing-statistics/
- https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/renewable/85-of-investors-executives-to-boost-esg-investments-despite-economic-headwinds-survey/105083473
- https://www.financealliance.io/7-benefits-of-esg-investing/
- https://raoglobal.org/blog/blackrocks-shift-from-esg-investing-to-transition-a-bold-move-towards-sustainable-transformation
- https://makersite.io/insights/sustainability-reporting-us/
- https://fortune.com/recommends/investing/what-is-esg-investing/
- https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-retail-investors-value-esg-and-frame-sustainable-investment-strategies/
- https://esgclarity.com/majority-of-private-investors-consider-esg-when-investing/
- https://www.ucem.ac.uk/whats-happening/articles/criticism-of-esg/
- https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Business%20Functions/Strategy%20and%20Corporate%20Finance/Our%20Insights/Five%20ways%20that%20ESG%20creates%20value/Five-ways-that-ESG-creates-value.ashx
- https://www2.deloitte.com/hu/en/pages/energy-and-resources/articles/esg-explained-1-what-is-esg.html
- https://aplanet.org/resources/esg-risks/
- https://eimf.eu/sustainability-and-esg-what-do-investors-want/
- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/money-mentor/investing/is-esg-investing-worth-it
- https://www.robeco.com/en-us/glossary/sustainable-investing/esg-definition
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/esg-investing-pros-cons-how-comply-osvaldo-berrios
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2023/02/16/esg-stocks-what-is-esg-and-do-esg-stocks-outperform-the-rest/
- https://smartasset.com/advisor-resources/sec-esg-rule
- https://esg.conservice.com/how-esg-supports-lgbtq-community/
- https://www.thecorporategovernanceinstitute.com/insights/lexicon/three-pillars-of-esg-ultimate-guide-to-esg/
- https://www.globalxetfs.com.au/green-fatigue-the-declining-popularity-in-esg-investing/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental,_social,_and_governance
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/chriscarosa/2023/03/27/who-supports-esg-investing-and-whos-against-it-and-why/
