Influences for using sustainability information in the investment decision-making of non-professional investors

Non-professional investors face a series of complex decisions when considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues for their investment activities. As such, this study sheds light on the question: what influences the use of sustainable information and the decision to invest in a sustainable company by non-professional investors? In order to answer the question, this article builds on the behavioral finance and information overload literature. We used an online survey carried out in Germany and applied a structural equation model. The results show that the personal orientation toward sustainability issues is the most important factor in deciding to use a company’s sustainability information. Furthermore, the study reveals that the decision to invest in a sustainable company is influenced by the personal sustainability orientation, identification induced by a good feeling, their willingness to waive returns for sustainability, their exposure to sustainability information, the investor’s age and information overload. The results show that non-professional investors do not distinguish between the different aspects of sustainability, that is, ESG. The study contributes to research which explores decision-making of non-professional investors, specifically their perception of sustainability information. It identifies factors influencing the use of sustainability information and the decision to invest in sustainable companies.