Demand from investors drives shift towards sustainable business in Asia
Firms are upping their environmental, social and governance game as asset managers offer their clients more sustainable investment funds in the region
Many Asian companies remain reluctant to step up their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts, unaware of the potential financial benefits of doing so. But greater supply-chain transparency, support from regulators, and engagement from investors are starting to drive changes in sustainable practices in the region, analysts said.
There is growing evidence that ethical and sustainable business practices allow companies to better manage risk and explore opportunities in a fast-changing world, and this can make them more profitable than firms that cut corners or ignore such issues. This also makes them a better bet for investors.
We believe that good ESG policies in the long run will lead to better and more stable investment returns
More than 2,000 academic studies have been conducted on the relationship between ESG and corporate financial performance, with 92 per cent of them showing a positive or neutral correlation between sound sustainability practices and stock price performance, according to the University of Hamburg.
To meet the growing interest from investors, more ESG or thematic funds are being offered to attract private capital.
“We are seeing a growing interest in sustainable investment in Asia. The greatest interest is in our thematic strategies tackling sustainability challenges such as water, climate change, resource efficiency or sustainable food,” said Alex Ng, chief investment officer Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas Asset Management.
According to the Global Sustainable Investing Alliance, sustainable investments under management reached US$52 billion in Asia in 2016, a 16 per cent increase on 2014, but still much lower than Europe’s US$12.04 trillion.