The IA's Cummings: Investment managers must meet consumer demand for responsible funds

Spike in savers backing ESG vehicles during pandemic

The pandemic has brought into sharp relief how our lives around the world are inextricably linked, both through the global spread of coronavirus and how we have come together within our communities to tackle and build back better from this crisis.

This collective desire to make a difference has been echoed in the behaviour we have seen from investors, with the steep growth in savings being put to work in responsible and sustainable investment funds as people chose to invest for the greater good not just a return. Record outflows from the fund market as the global lockdown took hold in March were followed by a recovery that saw record inflows of almost £1bn into responsible investment funds in April. This was not a one off. Three months out of the past four saw investors put more than £900m in responsible investments. The pus...