2021 was the year ESG moved into the investment mainstream. It was also the year that ESG Investor established itself as authoritative voice on sustainable investing, focused on providing asset owners with the information they need to pursue best practice in a fast-changing environment.

With COP26 still resonating and reshaping investor and policy priorities, what will 2022 hold? Environmental issues will continue to dominate the agenda, as new rules and frameworks aim to reset the relationship between profit and planet. This may lead to escalation of active engagement on climate and biodiversity themes – particularly during the AGM season – but asset owners will not ignore social and governance issues either.

Increasingly, they view sustainable returns as best achieved by working with partners and investing in firms which recognise long-term responsibilities to stakeholders across society, remaining alert to ever-evolving risks and opportunities.

For certain, the pace of change in sustainable investing will accelerate in 2022, as the asset owner’s options are redrawn by new regulations, standards, fund solutions, data and tools. As sustainable investing scales up, so too will ESG Investor broaden and deepen its coverage, extending the channels and formats we use to share news, industry insights and best practice with its growing global readership.

Like asset owners, we’re focused on delivering sustainable returns - and positive impact - in the long term.