Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are a set of standards for a company's operations that socially conscious investors use to screen potential investments. As an investor with over 30 years of experience, I believe that ESG is vital for investments and the planet. With increasing global temperatures, destruction of habitats and massive inequality from the pure pursuit of profit, the world teeters on a brink that we may never recover from unless we make meaningful change. As an investor and fund manager, I am not alone in the view that we need to adopt ESG for fund investment. Investment into ESG has grown rapidly over the past decade, and the amount of professionally managed portfolios that have integrated key elements of ESG assessments now exceeds USD 17.5 trillion globally, by some measures. In the next generational market, the millennials are about to inherit US$30 trillion of assets from their parents. According to a report from Morgan Stanley, a survey of individual investors showed that eighty-five per cent of the general population and 95% of Millennials now express interest in sustainable investing.
As an avid scuba diver, I have seen on my dives first-hand the destruction of coral reefs around the world, and am committed to the support of organizations and awareness of the impact of the destruction of these precious habitats. Coral reefs are some of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs support more species per unit area than any other marine environment. Over half a billion people depend on reefs for food, income, and protection. As an investor, conscious of the impact we have on the world, and an environmentalist, the protection of Coral Reefs has become one of my foremost concerns and active pursuits.
Find me on social media, whether on Twitter or on my Medium blog. It's important that we engage and elevate the vital conversations around responsible investment and the environment.