30 TRADE & FINANCE
Jessica Robinson, Chief Executive Officer, Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia( ASrIA)
The role of sustainable investing as a driver for change
Creating lasting societal change – change that dramatically improves the lives of the majority – requires rapid and transformative action in the way in which we use economic capital. Capital can and should be put to efficient and effective use in reshaping the way we do business, the way we grow, the way we live our lives. Sustainable investing must be at the heart of this.
What is sustainable investing?
With roots in ethical investing approaches, sustainable investing requires economic and investment decisions to be made on a set of values that reflect long-term priorities and sustainability concerns.
Historically, sustainable investors have been a force for positive change through developing inclusive mandates that, whilst seeking to invest for a financial return, include explicit consideration of non-financial returns.
Where sustainable investing has gained the most traction – largely in North America and Europe – sustainable investors have helped improve the environmental, social and governance practices of many companies.