The world is full of cynics. With that in mind it is easy for many of us to roll our eyes when big business starts talking about its commitment to environmental factors, social practices and governance – the holy trinity of ESG that has worked its way into the corporate lexicon. Yet we are now at a tipping point.

Or so it seems, based upon the findings of the Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report on the views of institutional investors.

We surveyed 600 fund managers globally, including 100 in the UK. Our investors told us that a corporate’s failure to tackle ESG issues properly is now viewed as a more general failing of risk. A staggering 66% of UK investors said they believe that the companies that tackle ESG issues properly are the same businesses that deliver strong operational and financial performance.

As one audience member observed afterwards, having a sensible approach to climate change, societal concerns and governance is “just good business”.

The presentation below was used to facilitate a panel discussion in our London offices on December 10 2019.