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ESG Investing: How to Optimize Impact?

Author

Listed:
  • Augustin Landier

    (TSE-R - Toulouse School of Economics - UT Capitole - Université Toulouse Capitole - UT - Université de Toulouse - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Stefano Lovo

    (GREGH - Groupement de Recherche et d'Etudes en Gestion à HEC - HEC Paris - Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

This paper develops a general equilibrium model of a productive economy with negative externalities. Investors are not willing to accept lower returns than their best investment alternatives and entrepreneurs maximize profits. If capital markets are subject to a search friction, an ESG fund can raise assets and improve social welfare despite the selfishness of all agents. The presence of the ESG fund forces companies to partially internalize externalities. We derive the fund's optimal policy in terms of industry allocation and pollution limits imposed to portfolio companies. The fund prioritizes investments in companies where (i) the inefficiency induced by the externality is particularly acute and (ii) the capital search friction is strong. We also show that the ESG fund can take advantage of the supply-chain network: It can amplify its impact by imposing restrictions on the suppliers of the firms where it invests.

Suggested Citation

  • Augustin Landier & Stefano Lovo, 2020. "ESG Investing: How to Optimize Impact?," Working Papers hal-02896673, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-02896673
    DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3508938
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bianchi, Milo & Liu, Zhengkai & Wang, Gang, 2022. "Are We Becoming Greener? Life-time Experiences and Responsible Investment," TSE Working Papers 22-1382, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    2. Costantiello, Alberto & Leogrande, Angelo, 2023. "The Determinants of CO2 Emissions in the Context of ESG Models at World Level," MPRA Paper 117110, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Christian Gollier & Sébastien Pouget, 2022. "Investment Strategies and Corporate Behaviour with Socially Responsible Investors: A Theory of Active Ownership," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(356), pages 997-1023, October.
    4. Inderst, Roman & Opp, Markus, 2022. "Socially optimal sustainability standards with non-consequentialist ("warm glow") investors," SAFE Working Paper Series 346, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    5. Opp, Marcus & Oehmke, Martin, 2020. "A theory of socially responsible investment," CEPR Discussion Papers 14351, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Pedersen, Lasse Heje & Fitzgibbons, Shaun & Pomorski, Lukasz, 2021. "Responsible investing: The ESG-efficient frontier," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(2), pages 572-597.
    7. Krahnen Jan & Rocholl Jörg & Thum Marcel, 2023. "A Primer on Green Finance: From Wishful Thinking to Marginal Impact," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 74(1), pages 1-19, April.
    8. Olivier David Zerbib, 2022. "A Sustainable Capital Asset Pricing Model (S-CAPM): Evidence from Environmental Integration and Sin Stock Exclusion [Asset pricing with liquidity risk]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 26(6), pages 1345-1388.
    9. Rüdiger Fahlenbrach & Eric Jondeau, 2023. "Greening the Swiss National Bank’s Portfolio," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 12(4), pages 792-833.
    10. Popescu, Ioana-Stefania & Gibon, Thomas & Hitaj, Claudia & Rubin, Mirco & Benetto, Enrico, 2023. "Are SRI funds financing carbon emissions? An input-output life cycle assessment of investment funds," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    11. Pierre Lavigne & Peter Tankov, 2023. "Decarbonization of financial markets: a mean-field game approach," Papers 2301.09163, arXiv.org.
    12. Hakenes, Hendrik & Schliephake, Eva, 2022. "Responsible Investment and Responsible Consumption," VfS Annual Conference 2022 (Basel): Big Data in Economics 264004, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    13. Hendrik Hakenes & Eva Schliephake, 2021. "Responsible Investment and Responsible Consumption," ECONtribute Discussion Papers Series 134, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    14. Tiziano De Angelis & Peter Tankov & Olivier David Zerbib, 2022. "Climate Impact Investing," Carlo Alberto Notebooks 676 JEL Classification: G, Collegio Carlo Alberto.
    15. Florian Heeb & Julian F Kölbel & Falko Paetzold & Stefan Zeisberger, 2023. "Do Investors Care about Impact?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 36(5), pages 1737-1787.
    16. Lei Li & Kun Qin & Desheng Wu, 2023. "A Hybrid Approach for the Assessment of Risk Spillover to ESG Investment in Financial Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-16, April.

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