Problems of ESG that Prevent Its Integration in Investment Decision-Making: Evidence from Investors

Authors

  • Kaiting Chen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/cf0bze47

Keywords:

ESG integration, investment decision-making

Abstract

The growing importance of ESG considerations in investment decisions reflects a transformative shift in how investors evaluate the sustainability and ethical impact of firms. As ESG integration becomes increasingly popular among investo rs, it is important to analyze how such an integration can affect investment decisions. While previous articles discussed reasons why investors integrate or not integrate ESG in making investment decisions, they did not probe into the question of how problems of ESG itself affect its integration in investment decision-making. This essay explores this topic by analyzing previous articles about ESG, its traits, and investors’ views on taking into account ESG factors in investment decision-making. It is concluded that some problems of ESG, including the absence of agreed criteria and lack of transparency in the rating process, can prevent ESG integration from being effective in making investment decisions.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Kaplan, R. S., & Ramanna, K. (2021). How to fix ESG reporting. Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper, (22-005).

Sandberg, J. (2011). Socially Responsible Investment and Fiduciary Duty: Putting the Freshfields Report into Perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 101(1), 146. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41475890

Langbein, J. H. and R. A. Posner. (1980). Social Investing and the Law of Trusts’. Michigan Law Review 79(1), 72-112.

Moliterni, F. (2018). Sustainable Investing and Green Finance: Boosting markets by solving ambiguities (S. Pareglio, Ed.). Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), 3. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep16403

Allred, Catherine M. (n.d.). Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing: From Scarlet to Green. https://jstor.org/stable/community.29406029

BATSAIKHAN, U., LARUE, L., & EUROPE, P. M. (2023). HOW TO STOP THE WILD GREEN GOLD RUSH: CREDIBLE ESG RATINGS.

Dimmelmeier, A. (2020). Mergers and Acquisitions of ESG Firms: Towards a New Financial Infrastructure? SocArXiv. doi:10.31235/osf.io/jt2uk

Pollmann, E. (2022). The Origins and Consequences of the ESG Moniker. Institute of Law and Economics Research Paper No. 22-23. https://ecgi.global/sites/default/files/Paper%3A%20Elizabeth%20Pollman.pdf

Berg, F., Kölbel, J., and Rigobon, R. (2022). Aggregate Confusion: The Divergence of ESG Ratings. Review of Finance. https://doi.org/10.1093/rof/rfac033

Billio, M., Costola, M., Hristova, I., Latino, C., and Pelizzon, L. (2020). Inside the ESG Ratings: (Dis) Agreement and Performance. SAFE Working Paper No. 284. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3659271

Berg, F., Fabisik, K., and Sautner, Z. (2020). Rewriting History II: The (UN) predictable past of ESG ratings. European Corporate Governance Institute, ECGI Working Paper No. 708/2020. https://ecgi.global/sites/default/files/working_papers/documents/bergfabisiksautnerfinal.pdf

Fichtner, J., Jaspert, R., & Petry, J. (2023). GOVERNANCE AND ESG. In MIND THE ESG GAPS: TRANSMISSION MECHANISMS AND THE GOVERNANCE OF AND BY SUSTAINABLE FINANCE (pp. 7–14). Danish Institute for International Studies. http://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep48454.5

PwC (2021). 2021 Global investor survey. https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/services/audit-assurance/corporate-reporting/2021-esg-investor-survey.html EU. (2018). The EU in 2018.

EPA. (2022). Learn About Volkswagen Violations. https://www.epa.gov/vw/learn-about-volkswagen-violations

van Duuren, E., Plantinga, A., & Scholtens, B. (2016). ESG Integration and the Investment Management Process: Fundamental Investing Reinvented. Journal of Business Ethics, 138(3), 525–533. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44164180

[Kempf, A., & Osthoff, P. (2008). SRI Funds, Nomen est Omen. Journal of Business, Finance & Accounting, 35, 1276-1294.

EC. (2022). "Targeted Consultation on the Functioning of the ESG Ratings Market in the European Union and on the Consideration of ESG Factors in Credit Ratings." Brussels: European Commission. https://finance.ec.europa.eu/regulation-and-supervision/consultations/finance-2022-esg-ratings_en.

EC. (2020). "Study on Sustainability-Related Ratings, Data and Research." Brussels: European Commission. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/d7d85036-509c-11eb-b59f-01aa75ed71a1/language-en.

Breitenstein, Miriam, Stefania Ciummo, and Florian Walsh. (2022). "Disclosure of Climate Change Risk in Credit Ratings." ECB Occasional Paper Series n°303. Frankfurt am Main: European Central Bank. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scops/ecb.ор303~eaa6fe6583.en.pdf.

Downloads

Published

22-01-2024

How to Cite

Chen, K. (2024). Problems of ESG that Prevent Its Integration in Investment Decision-Making: Evidence from Investors. Highlights in Business, Economics and Management, 24, 1081-1087. https://doi.org/10.54097/cf0bze47