ESG investing: how Covid-19 accelerated the social awakening

Sustainability. We mean it.

Senior Portfolio Manager, Global Equities, Federated Hermes Limited

Insight

9 December 2020 |

Active ESG

Since first engaging for stronger UK corporate governance in 1983, to becoming a founding signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment in 2006, to spearheading the global 2017 Climate Action 100+, we have always shaped the conversation on investment and sustainability.

ESG investing: How Covid-19 accelerated the social awakening

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In 2014, we proved that ESG investing is more than just a feel-good phenomenon. Since then, we have continued to monitor how ESG factors impact shareholder returns – and every two years, we publish an intellectually honest assessment of the ESG investing environment.

So far, our research has found that both social and governance factors are statistically significant, allowing us to further integrate sustainability into our investment portfolios.

Today, we revisit our study, updating our results to examine how ESG factors have behaved during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. We also consider the interplay between growth and sustainability.