ESG landscape continues to evolve
The responsible investing landscape is rapidly evolving and it’s more relevant than ever to incorporate environmental, social, governance (ESG) considerations into investment philosophies, according to Legg Mason which celebrates a decade of corporate social responsibility reporting.
The firm stressed that a critical component of CSR was always socially responsible investing in which ESG factors were examined alongside financial factors in the investment decision-making process.
Legg Mason has approximately $183 billion of long-term assets under management (AUM) invested in strategies that utilize ESG factors, up 15 per cent over the previous year.
Additionally, nine Legg Mason affiliates were United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) signatories, with ClearBridge Investments, Clarion Partners and Martin Currie all receiving A+ overall PRI scores as well as above-average scores for each of the respective required modules, it said.
David Sheasby, Head of Stewardship & ESG at affiliate Martin Currie, said: “The ESG landscape is rapidly evolving, and the PRI has been instrumental in raising awareness about responsible investing. It’s more relevant than ever to incorporate ESG considerations into our investment philosophies and contribute to the development of a more sustainable global financial system.”
Recommended for you
Platinum Asset Management has put its two closed-end funds under strategic review in a bid to reduce the share price discount to pre-tax NTA and maximise shareholder value.
In the latest Meet the Manager profile, Money Management speaks with Michael Skinner, founder and managing director at Blackwattle Investment Partners.
Perpetual has seen AUM rise 6 per cent in the last quarter but the departure of a longstanding JOHCM fund manager led to outflows of $2.2 billion from his strategy.
Global fixed income fund Bentham Global Opportunities has been added to several major platforms, enabling it to be accessed more easily by financial advisers.