From profit to purpose: The evolving landscape of sustainable investments

IN RECENT years, the investment world has witnessed a shift towards sustainable investing, in response to the global demand for more responsible investment practices that ensure long-term environmental sustainability.

The sustainable debt market has seen exponential growth, ballooning from a modest US$150 billion to US$250 billion range in bonds issued between 2016 and 2017 to some US$7 trillion cumulatively at the end of 2023, with green bonds for environmental projects making up about half of the debt on issue.

This reflects a growing investor appetite for environmentally focused investment opportunities, and a broader acceptance among institutional investors of sustainable investing being imperative to future financial strategies that align with global climate goals.