According to a new nationwide poll that we conducted in partnership with Kiplinger’s Personal Finance , investors care a lot about environmental, social, and governance issues. In fact, most (almost 8 in 10) plan to boost their ESG investments over the next one to two years.
We can’t say we’re surprised. Because for several decades, our women-led, impact-leading firm has built our investments around what matters to both people and planet, using ESG research to continuously evaluate the social and environmental performance of our investments.
The growth in ESG investments, defined in the survey as “considering a company’s record on environmental practices, social issues, and governance policies before investing,” is driven by investors’ desire to make a positive impact on the environment, build a better future for all, and invest in their local community.
“The good news is that companies like Domini make it easier for people to invest in what they care about with confidence” says CEO Carole Laible. “At Domini, we apply a single set of measurable standards across all of our investment products, and we use the power of our position as an investor to advocate for positive change.”
ESG investing isn’t a trend; it’s our tradition.
What’s more? The poll demonstrates that many investors agree with our enduring view that ESG investing is not a fad. It’s only going to increase in popularity over time, and more companies will need to adopt ESG principles if they want to thrive. (And we welcome them, by the way.)
The survey also shows that investors want ESG almost everywhere—in their retirement plans, in their employer-based 401k, and in their mutual funds—in fact, mutual funds are the most popular vehicle for ESG-focused investing.
Together with our caring community of individual investors, we can continue to inspire a greater and greener world, one investor at a time.