Five Surprising Facts About Sustainable Investing (2024)

Sustainable investing now comprises $30 trillion annually in global assets.

According to Otgo Erhemjamts, Finance professor and associate provost for Strategic Initiatives, younger investors are particularly keen on creating portfolios with a higher purpose. Here are her insights on a “modern” practice that dates back some 3,500 years.

It’s Rooted in Religion.

Faith-based communities were the first to integrate ethics and finance, beginning with the Jewish concept of tzedek (justice) around 1500 BC. Later, Sharia law forbade Muslims from collecting interest and investing in taboo commodities like alcohol and pork products. In the 1650s, Quakers prohibited profits from slavery, while 18th-century Methodists condemned “sin stocks” such as tobacco, firearms and gambling.

Orange Inspired the New Green.

Opposition to the Vietnam War intensified around the use of Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide that devastated the environment and caused lasting health problems, including cancers and birth defects. In response, two Methodist ministers created the world’s first socially responsible mutual fund. Introduced in 1971, the Pax World Fund allowed investors to avoid Agent Orange-complicit companies.

Women are Power Players.

Until recently, male fund managers scoffed at the field’s money-making potential. “They viewed it as an important but thankless task,” explains the professor, “so they handed it off to women.” As a result, it’s one of the rare areas of finance where women are well represented: While just 16% of chartered financial analysts are female, recruitment firm Acre Resources reports that 44% of the sustainable investing roles it filled over the past five years went to women.

Sustainability is Profitable.

“Early investors were willing to sacrifice larger returns to avoid sin stocks,” saysErhemjamts. Today, the field is evolving into investing in best-in-class companies or creating impact. Multiple studies confirm that sustainable funds are as profitable as conventional ones. Moreover, reports Morningstar, 72% of all sustainable equity funds ranked in the top half of their respective investment categories in the first six months of 2020.

There’s an Option for Every Cause.

From a single choice in 1971, environmentally and socially conscious funds have grown to nearly 400 today. Climate change and human rights are among the top-ranked concerns, but as Erhemjamts notes: “Whatever issue is important to you — from affordable health care and sustainable agriculture to LGBTQ+ rights and renewable energy — you’ll find an investment tailored to that.”

Five Surprising Facts About Sustainable Investing (2024)

FAQs

Five Surprising Facts About Sustainable Investing? ›

Sustainable investing encourages the preservation of natural resources by supporting companies committed to sustainable resource management and conservation efforts. Through responsible investment decisions, investors contribute to the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems.

What are the three key sustainable investing factors? ›

The three ESG factors:
  • The three ESG factors: Environmental. ...
  • Social. ...
  • Governance. ...
  • Differing exposures. ...
  • A brief history of ESG. ...
  • Assessing countries.

What is the importance of sustainable investing? ›

Sustainable investing encourages the preservation of natural resources by supporting companies committed to sustainable resource management and conservation efforts. Through responsible investment decisions, investors contribute to the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems.

Why is ESG investing interesting? ›

Investors increasingly believe companies that perform well on ESG are less risky, better positioned for the long term and better prepared for uncertainty. Companies that realign to the stakeholder capitalism agenda may have a competitive advantage over those that try to return to business as usual.

Did you know facts about investing? ›

Interesting Investing Statistics
  • If you do not start saving until 45, you will need to save three times as much as if you start. ...
  • 90% of actively managed funds underperformed passive funds.
  • 0.75% in fees equates to a 20% smaller nest egg in just 30 years.
  • On average, women invest more conservatively than men.
Jan 12, 2017

What is the largest sustainable investment strategy? ›

The most widely applied sustainable investment strategy globally, used for two-thirds of sustainable investments, is negative screening, which involves excluding sectors, companies, or practices from investment portfolios based on ESG criteria.

What drives sustainable investing? ›

Sustainable investing balances traditional investing with environmental, social, and governance-related (ESG) insights to improve long-term outcomes. In many ways, sustainable investing can be seen as part of the evolution of investing.

How big is sustainable investing? ›

The 2022 review, published on Wednesday, shows that investors had $30.3 trillion in sustainable assets, down from $35.3 trillion in 2020. In the US, investments in sustainable assets fell to $8.4 trillion last year from just over $17 trillion two years earlier, according to the GSIA report.

How popular is sustainable investing? ›

More than Half of Investors Say they Plan to Increase Sustainable Investments in Next 12 Months. Investors cited that their growing interest in sustainable investing is due to factors including new climate science findings (53%) and the financial performance of sustainable investments (52%).

Is it worth investing in sustainability? ›

Enhancing Reputation: Sustainability plays a decisive role in #consumer behavior and public opinion, especially among young people. High-tech companies can improve their reputation, attract socially responsible investors and customers, and gain a competitive edge.

What are the pros and cons of ESG investment? ›

Pros and cons of ESG investing
ProsCons
Can help investors diversify their portfolioESG funds may carry higher than average expense ratios
May reduce portfolio riskESG investing is still a fairly new concept and there isn't a ton of reporting on performance
1 more row
Oct 20, 2022

Why do investors care about sustainability? ›

Key Points. Sustainable investing promotes long-term economic growth by encouraging companies to operate more ethically and responsibly. It helps protect the environment by directing capital towards sustainable practices and technologies.

What is exciting about ESG? ›

Improves risk management. Both investors and CFOs in business stand to benefit from ESG as it can help teams proactively identify potential risks, whether it's to the environment, society, or their internal governance.

What are 5 facts about the stock market? ›

Without further ado, here are 13 awesome stock market facts!
  • The Stock Market is more than 400 years old! ...
  • There are more than 60 stock exchanges in the world! ...
  • The stock market is 70% likely to go up on any year. ...
  • October is the most volatile month. ...
  • September is the worst month.
Mar 7, 2024

What is the secret to investing? ›

By saving regularly and invest ing regularly in these and other investments, you too will be able to claim your rightful share in the ownership, growth, and rewards of the economy. In addition to work ing hard and saving regularly, the biggest secret of getting ahead is investing in ownership.

Is there a secret to good investing? ›

Diversifying your financial portfolio is a key way to deal with market uncertainty. “No one knows which asset classes will do well at any given time and diversification is the only logical response to such uncertainty…

What are the 3 S's of sustainability? ›

If we could break it down in its simplest form, running a sustainable small business is defined by 3 S's: Self-Sufficiency. Systems & Structures. Scalability.

What are the three 3 main factors affecting sustainability in Organisations? ›

The 3 Pillars of Sustainability

Under this approach, companies target a balanced approach to long-term social, environmental, and economic objectives. Another way to look at this is through the concept of the Triple Bottom Line — People, Planet, and Profit.

What is the 3 investment strategy? ›

A three-fund portfolio is a portfolio which uses only basic asset classes — usually a domestic stock "total market" index fund, an international stock "total market" index fund and a bond "total market" index fund.

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