Anti-corruption measures are now the main ESG concern for institutional investors, according to a survey of over 800 institutions.
The survey, which Funds Europe reported on earlier this week, found anti-corruption was ranked as the top ESG issue for investors when investing, followed by climate change and shareholder rights which came in joint second.
Habib Subjally, senior portfolio manager and head of global equities at RBC Global Asset Management, which carried out the report, said that investors are concerned with a wide range of ESG factors.
“By understanding the complexities of these factors on corporate value creation, investors can make better long-term investment decisions,” he said.
“What is notable in the results this year is that a vast majority of institutional investors are interested in how climate-related considerations are factored into their investments,” he added.
According to the study, the coronavirus pandemic is influencing investors’ views about ESG overall.
The report noted that while the importance placed on ESG considerations hasn’t changed for the majority of investors, nearly 30% said they now place more importance on ESG considerations due to Covid-19.
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