Why all asset classes should focus on ESG

More needs to be done

As the dust settles on COP26, and the many pledges and commitments made in Glasgow, few would disagree that now is the time for action.

As I have argued in these pages before, investment managers have a central role in building a sustainable planet, as well as sustainable wealth for its clients, achieved through its deployment of capital and stewardship via engagement with companies they invest in. Public equities and credit have received a lot of investor focus and media headlines when it comes to incorporating ESG considerations. But less is said about private markets and alternative assets, such as real estate, infrastructure, private equity or private debt, and the vital work they can do in the name of sustainable we...