Responsible investing: A surge led by motivated consumers

Over the past five years, ESG factors have shaped political views, geopolitical relationships, news cycles and consumer investment appetites.

Major events like COVID-19 and the recent bushfires in Australia, together with broader themes around climate change, have propelled communities and consumers to speak out in large numbers.

The rise of the ‘conscious consumer’ has seen the emergence of a new framework of consumer decision-making where every decision made is guided by a much broader set of considerations, which include ESG factors.

The investment world has not been excluded from this. Investors have come to expect that companies, investment managers and super funds with which they invest, do so in a responsible fashion or at least offer them choice of investments, but this is not always the case.

Responsible investing: A surge led by motivated consumers

Key findings from the 2020 Responsible Investment Association Australasia’s (RIAA) report titled ‘From Values to Riches 2020 – Charting consumer expectations and demand for responsible investing in Australia’ include:

Interested in learning more?

Download our white paper – “Platforms and responsible investing: A new outlook”