There is a growing body of evidence of rising interest in social responsibility in the marketplace. On the one hand, a survey by Mercer Investment Consulting of US institutional investors finds increasing interest in socially responsible investing (SRI). On the other hand, a McKinsey Quarterly survey of corporate executives globally finds mounting commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR). The fact that these surveys find essentially the same pulse for SRI and CSR should come as no surprise, as the two are like twins, separate entities with distinct identities but common origins and parallel paths.
Focusing on the cascade of survey numbers can blur the eyesight, but stepping back to see the interrelationships between statistics can clarify the significance of the results. For example, three-quarters of the 183 US institutional investors canvassed in the Mercer survey believe that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors can be material to investment performance.
"But overall, less than half of the survey participants have assessed or intend to assess the ESG capabilities of their internal or external investment managers," states the survey report, written by Jane Ambactsheer, global head of Mercer's Responsible Investment consulting division.
See full Article.
Posts
