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UK IFAs report major rise in ESG allocations since start of Covid-19 outbreak

Press
7 May 2020
  • 85% of UK IFAs have seen a rise in client requests to allocate capital to ESG-integrated funds since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak
  • 82% believe that the current crisis and its impacts will result in more individuals investing in pursuit of environmental, societal and governance goals in the future
  • Over three-quarters (78%) think investors would be motivated to divest from companies that have failed to support their employees or wider society through the crisis

London, May 7th, 2020: Since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak, UK independent financial advisers (IFAs) have observed a sharp rise in the number of investors seeking to tackle environmental concerns and improve society through their investments.

The pervasive impacts of the Covid-19 crisis seem to be driving a reassessment of the purpose and goals of investment, according to new research by the International business of Federated Hermes. A poll of 200 UK IFAs found that 78% believe that their clients would choose to divest from companies they deem to have failed to support their employees and wider society through the crisis.

82% reported an uptick in enquiries from investors about how their capital can be committed to combat the effects of climate change, raise governance standards and improve human rights. Expressions of interest have come from investors across a range of demographics; 42% of enquiries have come from investors aged under 40, while 36% have been from those aged 40 or over, countering the narrative that ESG investing is merely a trend among millennials.

The current crisis has further increased strong investor appetite for funds which integrate environmental, social and governance factors. 85% of UK IFAs have seen a rise in client requests to allocate capital to ESG-integrated funds since the start of the outbreak. 82% believe that the current crisis and its impacts will result in more individuals investing in pursuit of environmental, societal and governance goals in the future.

Commenting on the findings, Harriet Steel, Head of Business Development for the International business of Federated Hermes, said:

“The Covid-19 crisis is driving seismic change across markets, the economy and society, so it is no surprise to see that investors are reassessing the long-term aims and outcomes of their investments. The pandemic has radically reconfigured concepts of sustainability, reinforcing our long-held belief that investment and value creation must deliver more than just strong financial returns. These findings make clear that the crisis will be a catalyst for change as individual investors ascribe more weighting to the importance of ESG factors, and scrutinise the purpose of companies, and what they deliver for society, to an ever-greater extent.”

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