Our fourth annual Responsible Investment Survey reveals the latest views, actions and intentions of institutional investors and consultants related to responsible investment and ESG. This year’s survey indicates that ESG integration continues to grow globally. But for the third year in a row, the gap between investors in Canada and Europe who reported adopting ESG principles and those in the U.S. widened. Investors globally are also becoming increasingly convinced that ESG integrated portfolios can help mitigate risk and increase returns.

Anti-corruption rises to the top among all ESG concerns – Of the 18 ESG concerns survey respondents were asked about, anti-corruption ranked highest in 2020, followed by climate change and shareholder rights

Investors seek more climate-related investment solutions – Canadian investors are the most interested in investing in renewables when considering other climate-related strategies

Confidence increases around ESG as a risk mitigation tool – 67% of those surveyed agree that integrating ESG factors into their investments can help mitigate risk

Global trends in 2020

This year’s survey includes the responses of over 800 institutional investors across Canada, the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

Adoption of ESG principles is growing, with 75% of respondents across the globe integrating ESG into their investment approach

Europe leads in ESG integration compared to their global counterparts, and the gap between the U.S. is widening

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced investors’ ESG attitudes and priorities

Additional resources

Learn about ESG in our investment process.