Weekly Impact Investment Market Update: November 2, 2018

Impact Investing & ESG
 

Demand for ESG Investing is Knocking at Your Door…or Should Be
Panelists at the InvestmentNews Women Adviser Summit discuss the opportunity of engaging clients and prospects on environmental, social and governance issues.

World’s Largest Pension Fund Cites Improved ESG Adoption by Corporates
Within Asia, equity portfolio from India showed the most improvement in ESG ranking, followed by Japan and Hong Kong

Special Report: ESG Takes Root
One in every four professionally managed dollars is now invested sustainably according to some definition, with a total of $22.9trn run in this way overall, according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance.

Investors Can and Should Address the Fundamental Causes of Income Inequality
Investors are increasingly aware of the system-level effects of their investments.

Commentary: Sustainable Investing at a Tipping Point
Sustainable investing, which takes full account of environmental, social and governance factors, has come of age. More than $1 in every $4 of assets under professional management has a sustainability mandate, making a total of about $22.9 trillion.

Responsible Investing: Consider ESG as Financial Data, Says WWF
ESG data is still regarded as non-financial information that only acts to complement the usual reporting requirements. But there is a growing school of thought that it should be recognized as financial data as ESG issues can materially impact profits in the future, says Keith Lee, sustainable finance engagement manager at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Opinion: Impact Investors are Engaging in Blended Finance. Here’s What they Offer
Blended finance is the use of catalytic capital from public or philanthropic sources to increase private sector investment in sustainable development. It is an effective risk-sharing arrangement whereby public or philanthropic capital, largely provided by foundations, NGOs, individuals, and development agencies, is used to shrink the distance between real and perceived risks, making it possible to crowd in commercial investors.

Why Faith-Based Organizations are Shifting to Impact Investing
Faith-based organizations are increasingly investing in socially and environmentally responsible causes. A 2010 global study of faith institutions showed that 77% of 103 respondents practice impact investing.

 

United States & Europe
 

U.S. Added 250,000 Jobs in October; Unemployment at 3.7%
The last official snapshot of the economy before Americans vote on Tuesday offered another reminder of the labor market’s persistent strength. Hiring is up. Wages are up. The total number of workers and job searchers is up.

 

Developing Economies
 

Minimum Wage Surge across Southeast Asia
Minimum wages in Southeast Asia are rising sharply as governments strive to please their publics.

Southeast Asia’s Risk Map: Country-by-Country Breakdown
Geopolitical risk comes in many forms. While Investors are keeping a wary eye on political divisions in the U.S., trade war between Beijing and Washington, and rising populism in Europe, Southeast Asian markets are facing their own unique headwinds.