ESG Impact Investment Analysis

Student: Maggie Burlingame, 2018-2019

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing refers to investment decision making processes which include non-financial topics related to environmental, social or governance issues. One approach to ESG investing is “impact” investing, which focuses on the potential for positive environmental and social outcomes across various asset classes.By understanding the objectives of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Corporate Social Responsibility and other forms of sustainability reporting, it is possible to identify investment opportunities which can promote these non-financial outcomes. The UN SDGs outline the key issues of environmental, economic and social sustainability which society has identified as important goals for the entire international community. Using these goals as a starting point, we aim to quantify the positive environmental and social impacts of particular securities in order to determine their potential for positive impact alongside financial returns. Together these two pieces will provide evidence of the potential to achieve not only financial outcomes but positive environmental and social impact appealing to a broad range of investors.