Investors in socially responsible funds aren’t hit with a “performance penalty,” according to a report from the
In fact, the U.N. said it found a positive relationship between environmental, social and governance factors in 10 of 20 academic studies on the subject. Seven showed a neutral effect, and three a negative effect.
Certainly, investor interest in socially responsible investing is increasing, and with documentation that their investments don’t suffer, even more money could flow to the sector.
“While the results vary depending on the factor being studied, the region and the sample period, the evidence suggests that there doesn’t appear to be a performance penalty from taking environmental, social and governance factors into account in the portfolio management process,” the U.N. report said.
