Panel Discussion “Does Responsible Investing Matter?”, during the Insurance Forum 2017 on 01 June 2017, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong, China.
Elion House:
CEO, Benjamin Khoo, speaks alongside Invesco and BSR at the AsianInvestor Insurance Forum 2017 sponsored by Invesco at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong.
“Over the last 25 years bridging cleantech development and financial engineering, I have noticed a convergence of science and of human consciousness. As new technologies continue to disrupt the world, it is time to rethink concepts of technology, business, and finance, using them as tools to tackle the most pressing problems facing the world. Cleantech infrastructure enabled by new clean energy technologies is a new asset class that is ESG-compliant and can provide investors with low-risk and superior returns over the long-term”.
Invesco & AsianInvestor:
“Investing according to ESG principles involves the consideration of environmental, social and governance
issues when selecting companies and countries in which to invest.”
“In the past, ESG issues typically resulted in the exclusion
of certain industrial sectors (in armaments, tobacco and
alcohol companies, for example) or certain countries from
investment portfolios. While such ‘exclusion’ techniques are
still widely used, the incorporation of ESG considerations in
investment decisions is now done in a variety of ways.”
“One indicator of the increasing awareness of ESG issues
is the growing number of institutional investors that are
signatories to the United Nations–supported Principles for
Responsible Investment (UN PRI). Invesco became a UN
PRI signatory in 2013. According to PRI, the assets under
management of its signatories have grown from less than
US$7 trillion at PRI’s launch in 2006 to US$62 trillion as of April
2016 (Figure 2), more than three quarters of the global asset
management industry’s assets.”
“As signatories, institutional investors have a duty to act in
the best long-term interests of their beneficiaries. In that
fiduciary role, signatories believe that ESG issues can affect
the performance of investment portfolios and recognise
that applying six key ESG principles may better align
investors with broader objectives of society. The six key
principles are:
• to incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and
decision-making;
• to be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into
ownership policies and practices;
• to seek appropriate disclosure of ESG issues;
• to promote acceptance and implementation of the
principles in the industry;
• to work together to enhance effectiveness in
implementing the principles and
• to report on activities and progress towards implementing
the principles.”
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