Everyone’s a sustainable investor now
Every asset manager in the world now claims to apply ESG processes and to integrate sustainability factors into their investment decision-making.
- But how many actually put their money where their mouths are?
- How many actually have funds to invest into companies that can demonstrate that they are delivering sustainability solutions or are actively enabling a sustainability transition?
We challenged asset managers to 'show me the (sustainable) money' - not the sustainability policy commitments, not the ESG analytical processes, not the mainstream analyst engagement plans (important as these all are) … but the investable money…
… and we did it on behalf of investor relations officers of sustainability-orientated companies.
Show me the money - what we did
To help investor relations officers identify asset managers that might have the aim and objective of investing in sustainable companies, we:
- identified a universe of asset managers - consisting of the largest asset managers in the world and a selection of those that seek high profile for their sustainable investment or ESG activities.
- developed and applied a set of screening criteria - which includes a definition of different types of sustainable investment strategy.
- published a report containing a listing of asset managers that are actively allocating capital towards sustainability solutions or substantive sustainability transitions.
Rod Tidwell: No, no. You can do better than that! I want you to say it brother with meaning! Hey, I got Bob Sugar on the other line I bet you he can say it!
Jerry Maguire: Yeah, yeah, no, no, no. Show you the money.
Rod Tidwell: No! Not show you! Show me the money!
Jerry Maguire, 1996
Show me the money - what companies can do
Companies that are delivering sustainability solutions or are demonstrably committed to a sustainability transition can:
- Use our Working Paper to identify asset managers with funds to invest actively in companies like theirs
- Register with SRI-Connect (for free) and use the Directory to identify and communicate with the individual analysts and portfolio managers at these asset managers to ensure that they know your company and have heard your story
- Ensure that the managers of these funds are invited to any investor roadshows, presentations or capital market days that you deliver
- Undertake more detailed targeting or even conduct a specialist sustainability roadshow - see here for the schedule of (grant-funded) support that we can offer companies in this regard
- Consult sustainable-ir.com for other (free) resources on how to communicate efficiently and effectively with investors on sustainability
Show me the money - what investors can do
Asset managers:
- Check whether your funds are listed in our Working Paper
- (If they are not and you think they meet the criteria, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
- Update the profile of your firm and encourage team members to update their personal profiles on SRI-Connect (identify the sectors, sustainability issues and SRI/ESG strategies) that you are interested in - so that you are contacted by interesting companies and receive relevant research.
Why?
We undertook this work as part of the Building Bridges programme commissioned as part of WBCSD's Redefining Value programme and funded by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation's Conservation and Markets Initiative.