Rathbones' Harrison: ESG principles come to the fore during Covid-19 crisis

Earnings and profits will be impacted

To say that our world has been turned upside down may seem like hyperbole. But the Covid-19 pandemic has plunged us into a global crisis.

Attempts to control the outbreak have been unprecedented. Borders are shut, much of the aviation sector is grounded, countries have entered lockdown one by one, and governments have pressed the pause button on their economies. Inevitably, this triggered a sell-off in stock markets that brought an end to the decade-long bull run. In an attempt to stem the tide and prop up economies, central banks and governments are resorting to monetary and fiscal stimulus measures that make the response to the 2008 Global Financial Crisis appear meagre by comparison. Sustainability is about more t...