Gone are the days when ESG was just “nice to have,” says Adrian Lowcock at Willis Owen.

Adrian Lowcock is head of personal investing at Willis Owen. He notes that ESG’s decisive outperformance during the last one, three, and five years shows the investing approach is here to stay.

Lowcock points to the 94.6% return from the MSCI ACWI ESG leaders index over five years compared to the 91.3% return from the MSCI ACWI index, as validation of his opinion. (WealthAdviser)

ESG is core now

“These funds are core holdings now. Whereas previously, ESG was a secondary consideration, a nice to have tilt to portfolios, the world has been changing. A focus on companies that do less harm to the environment, be that alternative energy, greener food production or waste reduction, is here to stay. Crucially, investors are rewarding them,” he said.

Lowcock also points to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. It showed to locked-down citizens the effect of human activity on their environment.

“ESG investing is now a huge part of investing common sense, with many areas that responsible and ethical funds avoid being invested in “old” economy industries in decline,” he notes.

How the digital age is adding more power to ESG’s elbow

Lowcock also observes that advances in digital technology help companies more accurately track their environmental behavior and therefore, be more accountable for their actions.

Investors also benefit because technology helps make their opportunities more “cost-effective.”

Lowcock exhorts investors not to miss the ESG bus.

“Investors who are not on board {these trends} are going to miss out over the long term.”

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