IBE: The case for ethical evaluation in investing

New study from the Institute of Business Ethics

In recent years, burgeoning ESG investment has brought with it dilemmas for asset managers and one that sits at the forefront is where the line of morality and ethics get drawn, given this line means different things to different people.

This has become an even thornier issue of late given the events in Ukraine, as ESG managers start to revaluate their holdings. For instance, there has been some industry contemplation about whether defence stocks could now be considered worthy of ESG investment. However, a report from the Institute of Business Ethics (IBE) found that many asset managers believe it is not their job to take a moral position and they are reluctant to talk about ethics "because they find it hard to define and do not want to make a moral judgement". The report interviewed people from 16 asset managers, alo...