From the desk of
Doug Couden, CFA
With companies and investors increasing their public commitments to sustainability related goals, the transition process presents the opportunity for investors to help enact real change. However, meeting these goals means different things for different sectors and different companies - some will need to fundamentally change what they do and how they do it, while others can achieve their targets with more modest shifts.
From Concept to Reality: The Next Phase of the ESG Transition Is Here
Although moving to a more sustainable future is clearly desirable and presents an array of investment opportunities, transition does not come for free and the question of who should bear that cost sits largely unaddressed given the intersection of government and corporate policies. For investors, there is also the question of whether it is better to invest in sectors (and companies) that are more advanced in their transition process or those that are just starting out given the costs and potential return trade-offs involved.
4
Chief Investment Officer,
Partner
BakerAvenue's Primary Social Screening Factors
3% Community Rights & Relations
11% Waste Management
Sources: Bloomberg, BakerAvenue
Investment Performance?
Source: Reuters
Reuters asked which factors over the next 12 months would have the greatest impact on investment performance. Based on 300 respondents, over the next year, asset managers are more keenly focused on macroeconomic issues like interest rates, inflation, and a potential economic slowdown than they are elections and geopolitical events.
Notably, 81% of US respondents prioritized interest rates and inflation as the most important issues.