Sustainable investing refers to a range of strategies in which investors include environmental, social andcorporate governance (ESG) criteria in investment decisions and investor advocacy.Examples of ESG criteriacan be foundhere.
What is sustainableinvesting?
Sustainable InvestmentAssets in the United States: The US SIF Foundation’s 2022Report on US Sustainable Investing Trends identified $8.4 trillion in US-domiciled assets under management (AUM)as of year-end 2021 using sustainable investing strategies. Learn more here.
Motivations: There are several motivations for sustainableinvesting, including personal values and goals, institutional mission, and the demands of clients, constituents or plan participants. Sustainable investors aim for strong financial performance, but also believe that these investments should be used to contribute to advancements in social, environmental and governance practices. They may actively seek out investments—such as community development loan funds or clean tech portfolios—that are likely to provide important societal or environmental benefits. Some investors embrace sustainable investingstrategies to manage risk and fulfill fiduciary duties; they review ESG criteria to assess the quality of management and the likely resilience of their portfolio companies in dealing with future challenges. Some are seeking financial outperformance over the long term; a growing body of academic research shows a strong link between ESG and financial performance.
Terminology: Just as there is no single approach to sustainable investing, there is no single term to describe it. Depending on their emphasis, investors use such labels as: “community investing,” “ethical investing,” “green investing,” “impact investing,” “mission-related investing,” “responsible investing,” “socially responsible investing,”and “values-based investing,” among others.
What strategies do sustainableinvestors use?
Traditionally, sustainableinvestors have focused on one or both of two strategies. The first is ESG incorporation, the consideration of environmental, community, other societal and corporate governance (ESG) criteria in investment decision-makingand portfolio construction across a range of asset classes. Approaches to ESG incorporation include positive/best-in-class screening, negative/exclusionary screening, ESG integration, impact investing and sustainability themed investing. An important segment, community investing, seeks explicitly to finance projects or institutions that will serve poor and underserved communities in the United States and overseas. The second strategy, for those with shares in publicly traded companies, is filing shareholder resolutionsand practicing other forms of shareholder engagement. Sustainable investing strategies work together to encourage responsible business practices and to allocate capital for social and environmental benefit across the economy.
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Who are sustainable investors?
Sustainable investors comprise individuals, including average retail investors to very high net worth individuals and family offices, as well as institutions, such as universities, foundations, pension funds, nonprofit organizations and religious institutions. There are hundreds of investment management firms that offer sustainable investment funds and vehicles for these investors.
Practitioners of sustainable investing can be found throughout the United States. Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Individuals who invest—as part of their savings or retirement plans—in mutual funds that specialize in seeking companies with good labor and environmental practices.
- Credit unions and community development banks that have a specific mission of serving low- and middle-income communities.
- Hospitals and medical schools that refuse to invest in tobacco companies.
- Foundations that support community development loan funds and other high social impact investments in line with their missions.
- Religious institutions that file shareholder resolutions to urge companies in their portfolios to meet strong ethical and governance standards.
- Venture capitalists that identify and develop companies that produce environmental services, create jobs in low-income communities or provide other societal benefits.
- Responsible property funds that help develop or retrofit residential and commercial buildings to high energy efficiency standards.
- Public pension plan officials who have encouraged companies in which they invest to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and to factor climate change into their strategic planning.
What are some of the segments ofsustainable investing?
Alternative Investment Funds:In 2022, the US SIF Foundation identified 383 alternative investment vehicles, including private equity and venture capital funds, hedge funds, and real estate investment trusts (REITs) or other property funds, managing $762 billion in AUM that considered ESG criteria. Community Investments: Visit our Fast Facts to learn more about these and other segments within sustainable investing.
Registered Investment Companies: Hundreds of registered investment companies, which consist of mutual funds, variable annuity funds, ETFs and closed-end funds, consider ESG criteria in making investment decisions. The US SIF Foundation identified 645 registered investment companies with $1.2 trillion sustainable investment AUM in 2022, including 444 mutual funds and 177 ETFs.
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How do sustainable investmentfunds perform?
Sustainableinvesting spans a wide and growing range of products and asset classes, embracing not only public equity investments (stocks), but also cash, fixed income and alternative investments, such as private equity, venture capital and real estate. Sustainableinvestors, like conventional investors, seek a competitive financial return on their investments.
A number of studies have foundthat thatinvestors do not have to pay more to align their investments with their values, or to avoid companies with poor environmental, social or governance practices. Studies with such findings have come from Oxford University, the Global Impact Investing Network, the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing, Nuveen TIAA Investments and Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management, among others. For example, in a study by the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing of ESG-focused mutual funds and ETFs, it found that there is “no financial trade-off in the returns of sustainable funds compared to traditional funds, and they demonstrate lower downside risk.” Moreover, during a period of extreme volatility, the study found “strong statistical evidence that sustainable funds are more stable.”
Learn more about the competitive performance of sustainable investment funds.
What is Shareholder Engagement?
Owning shares in a company gives investors a channel through which to raise environmental, social and corporate governance issues of concern. By filing or co-filing advisory shareholder resolutions at US companies, which may proceed to a vote by all shareholders in the company, active shareholders bring important issues to the attention of company management, often winning media attention and educating the public. Moreover, resolutions need not come to a vote to be effective. The process of filing often prompts productive discussion and agreements between the filers and management that enable the filers to withdraw their resolutions.
From 2020 through the first half of 2022, 154 institutional investors and 70 investment managers collectively controlling a total of $3.0 trillion in assets at the start of 2022 filed or co-filed shareholder resolutions on ESG issues. Investors filed more than 750 resolutions relating to environmental, social and governance issues for the 2022 proxy season.
The leading issue raised in shareholder proposals, based on the number of proposals filed from 2020 through 2022, was on ensuring fair workplace practices, and particularly on ending de facto discrimination based on ethnicity and sex. From 2020 through mid-2022, investors had filed a total of 311 proposals on these fair labor issues. Investors also focused on disclosure and management of corporate political spending and lobbying. Shareholders filed 288 proposals on this subject during this period. Continuing a trend of several years, many of the targets were companies that have supported trade associations that oppose regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to filing or co-filing shareholder resolutions, investors can also actively vote their proxies, engage in dialogue with corporate management or join shareholder coalitions as a means to encourage companies to improve their environmental, social and corporate governance practices. In addition, investors can participate in public policy initiatives, working with government regulatory agencies, and testify and report on ESG investment issues to Congress.
A few of the many examples of how shareholder resolutions make a difference can be found here. To learn more about the impact that sustainable and responsible investors have had on companies, the investment industry and public policy, see The Impact of Sustainable and Responsible Investment.
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As a seasoned expert in sustainable investing, I bring to the table a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience in navigating the intricate landscape of environmentally, socially, and governance-focused investment strategies. My expertise extends to the nuances of sustainable investment assets, motivations driving sustainable investing, various strategies employed, and the diverse spectrum of sustainable investors.
Sustainable Investing Overview: Sustainable investing involves incorporating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria into investment decisions and advocacy. In the United States, the US SIF Foundation's 2022 report highlighted $8.4 trillion in US-domiciled assets managed sustainably as of 2021. This signifies a substantial commitment to aligning investment practices with societal and environmental values.
Motivations Behind Sustainable Investing: Motivations for sustainable investing range from personal values and institutional missions to meeting client demands. Sustainable investors aim for robust financial performance while contributing to social and environmental advancements. They actively seek investments that offer societal or environmental benefits and manage risks through ESG criteria.
Terminology and Strategies: Sustainable investing encompasses various terms such as "community investing," "ethical investing," "impact investing," and more. Traditionally, investors have focused on two main strategies: ESG incorporation and shareholder engagement. ESG incorporation involves considering ESG criteria in decision-making, while shareholder engagement includes filing resolutions to encourage responsible business practices.
Segments of Sustainable Investing: Sustainable investors span individuals, institutions, and investment management firms. Examples include retail investors in ESG-focused mutual funds, community development banks, foundations supporting high-impact investments, and religious institutions engaging in shareholder resolutions. The landscape includes registered investment companies, alternative investment funds, and community investments.
Performance of Sustainable Investment Funds: Studies from reputable institutions like Oxford University and Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing show that investors need not sacrifice financial returns for sustainable investments. There is no significant trade-off, and sustainable funds may even demonstrate lower downside risk during periods of volatility.
Shareholder Engagement: Owning shares provides a platform for investors to address ESG concerns. Shareholders file resolutions, engaging in productive discussions with companies, and voting on proxies. From 2020 to mid-2022, institutional investors and managers controlling $3.0 trillion filed resolutions, with fair workplace practices and corporate political spending being key focus areas.
As a seasoned professional, I emphasize the diversity within sustainable investing, the financial viability of such strategies, and the tangible impact they can have on businesses and society. The realm of sustainable investing is dynamic and continues to evolve, reflecting a commitment to responsible and impactful financial practices.
