International norms regulate the behavior of companies with regard to dealing with their employees, supply chains, society, environment and ethics. These rules of the game are particularly important in order to make companies resilient.
A meta-study on ESG conducted by DWS and the University of Hamburg has become a cornerstone of the case for responsible investing. The authors of “ESG and Corporate Financial Performance: Mapping the Global Landscape“ examined more than 2,200 empirical studies written since the 1970s and concluded that there is “overwhelming evidence of the economic viability of ESG investments” and that considering ESG criteria need not impact on performance.
The positive relationship between ESG and performance was found to be especially strong for equities, fixed-income
securities and real estate. From a regional perspective, the studies also showed that ESG effects were particularly
relevant for performance in North America and also in emerging markets.