Russell Investments’ 2021 ESG Manager Survey: climate change is top ESG concern

• 90% of respondents in Russell Investments’ global survey of 369 asset managers include ESG in discussions with underlying investments
• 60% of managers globally identify climate change/environmental issues as their clients’ top ESG concern
• 80% of managers highlight governance as the most important ESG factor but Continental European managers put greater focus on environmental issues
• 100% of UK respondents incorporate ESG factor assessments into their investment processes

Asset managers are placing greater emphasis on active ownership of their investments and increasingly engaging on ESG issues with the underlying companies in their portfolios, according to a newly released survey conducted by Russell Investments.

Nine in 10 respondents (90%) said they cover ESG in meetings with the senior management of companies that they invest in, up from 80% in the 2018 survey. Overall, 35% of respondents report they always cover ESG in their meetings, up from 21% in 2018.

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