SustainabilityHQ.com Weekly Highlights March 4, 2015

Global Sustainable Investing Pegged at US$21 Trillion In Survey by 7 Leading S.I. Membership Organizations

Global sustainable investing assets under management rose 61%, from US$13.3 trillion at the start of 2012, to reach US$21.4 trillion AUM at the start of 2014. That’s 30% of the total of all professionally managed assets across the regions covered by the survey (which was conducted by the 7 leading sustainable investment professional membership associations).

The survey results were announced by The Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, whose mission is to “deepen the impact and visibility of sustainable investment membership organizations at the global level.  GSIA is based in Brussels.

The United States of America, Canada and the European Union accounted for 99% of the total S.I. AUM – but there are notable differences in approaches to sustainable investing.  Europe accounts for 64% of the global AUM and there, the majority of asset managers practice negative screening approaches. ESG integration into decision-making accounts for the majority practice in the USA – where corporate engagements seem to be more important to asset managers.

While sustainable investing is fast catching on in the US capital markets (with $1 in $6 AUM identified in the latest survey by member organization US SIF), in Europe more than half of all professionally-managed AUM practice an ESG strategy. (Australia, USA and Canada shares of market range from 17% to 31%, says GSIA.)

“Impact Investing” is becoming an important theme as part of the overall sustainable investing scene, in all markets studied. (The group describes this as targeted investments, typically in private markets, aimed at solving social or environmental problems.)

Member organizations include US SIF, Eurosif, ASrIA, RIAA, RIA, UK SIF, and VBDO. The survey was conducted by the 7 groups plus Japan Social Investment Forum. 
The highlights of the survey results are presented in our Top Story this week. 

This is just a sample of some of the articles from this weeks SustainabilityHQ Highlights. You can view the full Highlights by using the following links. Sustainability | ESG, Highlights for the Week of March 4, 2015