Responsible investment trends
ISS ESG the responsible investment arm of Institutional Shareholder Services Inc released a report identifying the key global trends responsible investors will be focusing during 2022.
The key global themes and trends for ESG investors in 2022 cover topics included under three interrelated areas:
- Planetary boundaries: Risks that arise from the degradation of ecological systems including the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, ecological collapse and resource depletion, including ocean acidification and water consumption/depletion, air pollution... Some key themes:
- Looming Water Crisis: Institutional investors can mitigate water risks across their investment portfolio by identifying industries and business activities that depend on or greatly impact water resources, and actively engage in management decisions to reduce negative impacts.
- Biodiversity loss: Food producers (mostly through their raw materials supply chains), hydropower dam operators, pesticide manufacturers, mining and construction companies, are frequently involved in allegations associated with biodiversity depletion.
- Stewardship: Risk related to corporate governance and market integrity, including data privacy and technological regulation, cyber risk, lobbying, corruption and accountability, climate change measurement and reporting. Some key themes:
- ESG data integration into the investment process: main challenge to put ESG into the mainstream of the investment process.
- Climate Litigation: Number of climate litigations has grown considerably (1,550 cases in 2020 vs the total 884 cases until 2017).
- Responsible investment regulation: Compliance with regulation that is gaining relevance in all geographies.
- Inclusion: Systemic issues that cause or relate to wealth and resource disparity; risks to labor and human rights; cultural and racial prejudice; gender- and age-based discrimination… Some key themes:
- Gender pay Gap: Investors will ensure that this indicator improves for female employees.
- Labor and Supply Chain: global working conditions across the value chain will be in the spotlight.
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According to the World Economic Forum´s Global Risk Report 2026, geoeconomic confrontation, mis- and disinformation and societal polarization make up the top three short-term risks, while environmental risks dominate in the long term.
According to the World Economic Forum, over the last few years AI has moved from experimentation to workflow integration, promising systemic gains in productivity while also raising critical questions around economic inclusion, values, trust and resilience.
According to AFME, a clearer, more coherent, and proportionate regulatory environment, without unnecessary layers and focuses on growth and competitiveness, is keyl to increase investor confidence, unlock private capital and deepen European capital markets
According to the Center for the Governance of Change at IE University, Europeans support technological progress if it reinforces security, inclusion, and social welfare; but resist it when change feels imposed, opaque, or misaligned with their values.
According to a recent report released by CEPS, European financial regulators should adopt competitiveness as a formal secondary objective, following the precedent established by the UK's Financial Services and Markets Act 2023.
According to the OECD. SMEs and start-ups that grow rapidly contribute significantly to job creation, economic growth and competitiveness. Indeed, SMEs that grow by one-third over a three-year period, contribute about as much to job creation as large firms.
According to @McKinsey, banks must prepare for a new growth curve. Strategic precision —the ability to combine technology, capital discipline, and deep customer insight— will distinguish the leaders from the laggards.
According to Kristalina Georgeva IMF Managing Director, lifting growth requires three things: one, regulatory housecleaning to unleash private enterprise; two, deeper regional integration; and three, preparedness to harness AI.
According to The European House – Ambrosetti, the European Union has an opportunity to boost competitiveness and growth by simplifying regulatory and supervisory frameworks, particularly in the areas of sustainability and the financial sector.
According to Ramón Casilda Béjar, Spain, in today’s complex geopolitical landscape, has the opportunity to strengthen its role as a bridge and connecting country between Ibero-America and the European Union, revitalizing investment flows in both directions.
According to @ECB, in moments of acute stress, the public often turns to physical currency as a reliable store of value and a resilient means of payment, underscoring the crucial role it plays above and beyond everyday transactional convenience
According to Juan S. Mora-Sanguinetti, in Spain a 10% increase in regulatory volume leads to a 0.5% drop in employment in companies with fewer than 10 employees.