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 .