We reached out to leading experts in the ESG investing industry to find out their responses, and this is what we found…
QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?
ANSWERTonderai Njowera, Senior Partner, ImpactVest Global Advisory
ANSWERYes, it makes absolute sense! It aids in social esteem building, yielding collective long-term social, environmental, and economic dividends for those less exposed to opportunity and for the entire society, the global society.
QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?
ANSWERRupini Deepa Rajagopalan, Head of ESG Office at Berenberg
ANSWERIt is really simple in my view, investing in areas that have positive change indirectly also creates positive returns. Why? Because companies that advocate for issues such as social justice or promote social values, just means intrinsically they are built upon a culture that promotes long-term stability and even inclusion. Which is why I believe in investing in our values and coin the term “Finance with a heart”.
QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?
ANSWERKlarissa Nura, Research Analyst, ImpactVest Metrics
ANSWERIn a capitalist society, the allocation is the principle tool to create an equitable world for society and the planet where race, gender, economics and climate change is carefully considered.
QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?
ANSWEROlivia E. Knight, Racial Justice Initiative Manager at As You Sow
ANSWERInvesting in social justice is an investment in the future; corporations exist in a symbiotic relationship with the communities they serve and this relationship must be just and equitable to be healthy. Investors serve as a company’s liaison to the community and can exert a direct influence on corporate policies by promoting social justice. An investment in social justice is an investment in the community, and a healthy thriving community is essential to sustainable corporate success.
QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?
ANSWER Jennifer Priest, Content Strategist at Xactly Design & Advertising Inc.
ANSWERInvesting in social justice does make a difference…certainly to the lives of the people who benefit from improved situations. But there are also ripple effects into other areas. For example, in alleviating poverty, if individuals have more economic power they have more choice, and can buy products/services that are more sustainable vs what’s cheapest. Another thing to consider are the costs of allowing negative situations to continue (often hard to quantify, I admit).
QUESTIONDoes investing in Diversity, Equality and Inclusion make a difference and why?
ANSWERHarold Overholm, CEO at Alight
ANSWERInvesting in social justice can mean many things, but being from Sweden where education is free, I believe a fundamental investment in social justice is education accessible for all. The possibilities of childrens’ futures should not be dependent on for example the financial capability of their parents. Societies benefit from having that equal opportunity for higher education where everyone can go get a PhD (like myself)
