High Net Worth Individuals & Sustainable Investment

Publisher
Eurosif - European Social Investment Forum
Publication date
September 2008
Type
Reports
Category
Sustainability and the Business Case
Managing Corporate Responsibility
SRI/Sustainable Finance
Discipline
Finance
Strategy
Language
English
Link
http://www.eurosif.org/media/files/eurosif_hnwi_sustainable_investment_08
Free/Pay for content
Free
 

Eurosif estimates that sustainable investments represent approximately 8% of European HNWIs’ portfolios as of December 31, 2007 and predicts that by 2012 the share will have increased to 12%, surpassing the €1 trillion mark.

There are three drivers in the intersection of HNWIs and sustainable investing that will lead to future growth of the SRI market in the coming years:

  • The amount of wealth available for investing by this group is at an all time high and projected to expand further.
  • The demand for ‘sustainability criteria’ as an offering within this sector is growing largely due to a generational shift in thinking about capital growth and preservation as well as financial out-performance prospects.
  • HNWIs have transitioned from only doing philanthropy to increasingly integrating sustainability criteria in their actual investments, reflecting a growing consensus that financial returns are consistent with sustainability issues.
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