The climate emergency is no longer a fringe issue, but something that is very much at the forefront of voters’ – and investors’ – minds. Truly global in nature, from the deadly wildfires in California to water vulnerability in Cape Town and a host of other places, “climate change is the defining issue of our time and we are at a defining moment”, as the United Nations puts it.
With that in mind, this edition of Funds Global Asia aims to give readers a deep insight into how investors – from asset managers to insurance companies – are applying environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors to the investment process. We look at whether insurers have the edge over other institutional investors when it comes to integrating ESG factors in portfolios and question whether the social aspect is often overlooked. We hear, for example, how the insurance industry’s very nature ought to make investing in social good an appealing prospect.
As the composition of investors in the funds industry changes, millennials are becoming an increasingly important target for asset managers. But what are firms doing to win them over as they take a greater share of the investor wallet, and does millennials’ perceived attitude towards ESG match the reality? The results of a survey of more than 3,000 people aged 23-35 might surprise you. What is certain is that the current state of play when it comes to the climate is an emergency that unites the investment community, the younger generation and more and more citizens globally – making our planet the ultimate premium for all.
Romil Patel, editor, Funds Global Asia
©2019 funds global asia 
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