Glass building house covered by green ivy with blue sky
Why ESG investing?

Aligning your investments with your values using ESG

For many investors, incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their investing decisions is becoming increasingly important. Learn about the growing ESG landscape and how to implement ESG in portfolios.

How to transition into ESG investing

The conversation around ESG investing is not a “now or never” or a “for it” or “against it” conversation. Many clients are increasingly interested in aligning their investments with their values. Priorities have shifted in our world and sustainable investing has become a focus for the future. Our extensive line-up of ESG products allows investors to select the ESG capabilities that best meet their needs.

Dispelling the myths

Reality: Positive financial results can correlate with an ESG approach.

 

It’s hard to claim that any given investment strategy will always underperform. Morgan Stanley analyzed more than 11,000 funds using Morningstar data for exchange-traded and open-ended mutual funds with the variable “Sustainable Funds” for 2019 and 2020. They found that there is no financial tradeoff in the returns of sustainable funds with both equity and taxable bond fund outperforming their traditional peers.4

Reality: ESG investing is not new. ESG investing is here to stay with options growing in number and size.

 

We are on the cusp of an intergenerational wealth transfer, and the role of younger investors is becoming increasingly important when considering future interest in ESG investing. A recent global poll of 1,125 millennials found that 77% said ESG investing is their top priority when considering investment opportunities.5

Explore our range of ESG products

Our ESG investing line-up offers investors an entry point into sustainable investing that can help them meet their investment objectives. These ESG offerings span a diverse range of categories with strategies that can meet the long-term needs of value-driven investors. 

Footnotes

  • 1

    Source: Global Sustainable Investment Alliance (2018) Global Sustainable Investment Review. 

  • 2

    Source: Edelman Trust Barometer, 2021.

  • 3

    Source: Morningstar Global Sustainable Fund Flows Report – Q2 2021. All figures are in U.S. dollars. Includes all open-ended funds. 

  • 4

    Source: Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing (2020) Sustainable Reality: Analyzing Risk and Returns of Sustainable Funds.

  • 5

    Source: DeVere Group (2020) 8 out of 10 millennials now prioritize responsible investing.