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Do Responsible Investors Invest Responsibly?
[Why and how investors use ESG information: evidence from a global survey]

Author

Listed:
  • Rajna Gibson Brandon
  • Simon Glossner
  • Philipp Krueger
  • Pedro Matos
  • Tom Steffen

Abstract

We study whether institutional investors that sign the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a commitment to responsible investing, exhibit better portfolio-level environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores. Signatories outside of the USA have superior ESG scores than nonsignatories, but US signatories have at best similar ESG ratings, and worse scores if they have underperformed recently, are retail-client facing, and joined the PRI late. US signatories do not improve the ESG scores of portfolio companies after investing in them. Commercial motives, uncertainty about fiduciary duties, and lower ESG market maturity explain why US-domiciled PRI signatories do not follow through on their responsible investment commitments.

Suggested Citation

  • Rajna Gibson Brandon & Simon Glossner & Philipp Krueger & Pedro Matos & Tom Steffen, 2022. "Do Responsible Investors Invest Responsibly? [Why and how investors use ESG information: evidence from a global survey]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(6), pages 1389-1432.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:revfin:v:26:y:2022:i:6:p:1389-1432.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rof/rfac064
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Gow, Ian D. & Larcker, David F. & Watts, Edward M., 2023. "Board diversity and shareholder voting," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Cohen, Shira & Kadach, Igor & Ormazabal, Gaizka, 2023. "Institutional investors, climate disclosure, and carbon emissions," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2).
    3. Eduardo C. Garrido-Merch'an & Gabriel Gonz'alez Piris & Maria Coronado Vaca, 2023. "Bayesian Optimization of ESG Financial Investments," Papers 2303.01485, arXiv.org.
    4. Sisi Zheng & Shanyue Jin, 2023. "Can Enterprises in China Achieve Sustainable Development through Green Investment?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-25, January.
    5. Zhang, Ning & Zhang, Yue & Zong, Zhe, 2023. "Fund ESG performance and downside risk: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    6. V. Veeravel & E. K. S. Sadharma & Bandi Kamaiah, 2024. "Do ESG disclosures lead to superior firm performance? A method of moments panel quantile regression approach," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 741-754, January.
    7. Sirio Aramonte & Frank Packer, 2022. "Information governance in sustainable finance," BIS Papers, Bank for International Settlements, number 132, October –.
    8. Ge, Xiaowen & Xue, Minggao & Cao, Ruiyi, 2024. "Do Chinese carbon-intensive stocks overreact to climate transition risk? Evidence from the COP26 news," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    9. Martinez Meyers, Susana & Ferrero-Ferrero, Idoya & Muñoz-Torres, María Jesus, 2024. "ARE sustainable funds doing the talk and the walk? An ESG score analysis of fund portfolio holdings," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 1526-1541.
    10. Caterina Lucarelli & Sabrina Severini, 2024. "Anatomy of the chimera: Environmental, Social, and Governance ratings beyond the myth," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(5), pages 4198-4217, July.
    11. Davidson Heath & Daniele Macciocchi & Roni Michaely & Matthew C. Ringgenberg, 2023. "Does Socially Responsible Investing Change Firm Behavior?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(6), pages 2057-2083.
    12. Diego P. Guisande & Maretno Agus Harjoto & Andreas G. F. Hoepner & Conall O’Sullivan, 2024. "Ethics and Banking: Do Banks Divest Their Kind?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 192(1), pages 191-223, June.
    13. Massimo Guidolin & Monia Magnani, 2024. "Do US Active Mutual Funds Make Good of Their ESG Promises? Evidence from Portfolio Holdings," Risks, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-26, February.
    14. Hu, Xiaoxue & Li, Dongxu & Wang, Jingni, 2024. "Green-selecting: Foreign institutional ownership and corporate green practices," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 62(PB).
    15. repec:hal:journl:hal-04790588 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Liliana Rivera & Norma Ortiz & Gabriel Moreno & Iliana Páez-Gabriunas, 2023. "The Effect of Company Ownership on the Environmental Practices in the Supply Chain: An Empirical Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-24, August.
    17. Hao Liang & Lin Sun & Melvyn Teo, 2022. "Responsible Hedge Funds [Role of managerial incentives and discretion in hedge fund performance]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(6), pages 1585-1633.
    18. Aswani, Jitendra & Raghunandan, Aneesh & Rajgopal, Shivaram, 2024. "Are carbon emissions associated with stock returns?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118364, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Marcin Kacperczyk & Lin Peng & Jing Xie, 2024. "ESG Investing and Stock Return Comovements," Working Papers 202403, University of Macau, Faculty of Business Administration.
    20. Carlos Ignacio Gallo Aguila & María del Pilar Castro Arellano & Marco Antonio Rodríguez Vega & Eliana Maritza Barturen Mondragón & María del Pilar Quezada Castro & Guillermo Alexander Quezada Cast, 2024. "Trends in Scientific Production on Greenwashing based on Scopus (1990-2023)," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 14(4), pages 464-471, July.
    21. repec:hal:journl:hal-04804492 is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Minsu Ko & Cynthia Yin, 2024. "Socially Responsible Investment and Gender Equality in the United States Census," Working Papers 24-44, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ESG; SRI; PRI; socially responsible investing; sustainability; institutional investors; greenwashing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • M14 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Corporate Culture; Diversity; Social Responsibility

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