Editorial


ESG ESG


ESG-led strategies did not predict the arrival of the Covid pandemic, but could they shield investors from the economic chaos that has followed? Although ESG is marketed as a long-term strategy, this crisis is being seen as a test of its risk-reducing credentials. The early signs are largely positive, but it will be interesting to see how such portfolios have per- formed when the uncertainty and economic upheaval caused by the virus are little more than a memory. Yet within the first two months of the lockdown, an interesting trend has emerged in ESG. Climate change is no longer the default topic of conver- sation. It has been replaced by concerns over social issues. It makes sense. After all, the crisis was not the result of man-made dam- age to the environment, which remains a key topic for institutional inves- tors. With rising unemployment and the burden increasing on local ser- vices, such as healthcare, supporting local communities could be one of the biggest needs in a post-Covid world for those looking to build a sus- tainable society. So it is an interesting to time to hold our annual ESG discussion. We bought charity and pension scheme investors together with fund manag- ers, a consultant and a campaigner to look at how the approach to ESG is changing.


Our coverage starts on the next page.


CONTENTS P4 - 5: ESG


Our coverage on how attitudes and ap- proaches to ESG-led investing are changing starts here.


P6: ESG in figures


A snapshot of the ESG world from the size of specific funds to the number of women in executive roles.


P7: The participants


Meet the experts who took part in this online discussion.


P8 -15: The transcript


A debate on ESG and the institutional investment market.


P16 -17: Can aviation turn the skies blue? The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is being felt in the financial markets, yet Candriam’s Fawzy Salarbux argues that this an opportunity to make airlines reduce their harmful gas emissions.


P18 - 21: Feature: ESG ratings: Demand for corporate ESG ratings is rising, but can a single score accurately reflect a company’s performance across so many factors?


Mark Dunne Editor


m.dunne@portfolio-institutional.co.uk


May 2020 portfolio institutional roundtable: ESG


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