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Environmental, Social and Governance investing: Does rating matter?

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  • Vincenzo Pacelli
  • Francesca Pampurini
  • Anna Grazia Quaranta

Abstract

In the last decade, the demand for sustainable and social investments has improved. The mutual funds industry has responded to market needs by offering a number of investment products focused on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) companies. The aim of this article is to understand if an ESG score can actually be considered a valid criterion that portfolio managers could adopt, along with traditional risk–return optimisation, in selecting asset portfolios. The paper analyses the link between the performance and the ESG score of different sectoral portfolios (one for each sector of the Global Industry Classification Standard), entirely composed of ESG assets, in the search for a clear and strong positive correlation that could suggest an overall advantage to focus on an ex ante choice of assets with high ESG scores.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincenzo Pacelli & Francesca Pampurini & Anna Grazia Quaranta, 2023. "Environmental, Social and Governance investing: Does rating matter?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 30-41, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:32:y:2023:i:1:p:30-41
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.3116
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    1. Victoria Bogdan & Luminita Rus & Dana Simona Gherai & Adrian Gheorghe Florea & Nicoleta Georgeta Bugnar, 2023. "A Streamline Sustainable Business Performance Reporting Model by an Integrated FinESG Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-26, December.

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