Questions Before Answers. Solutions Before Products.
Developing the right strategy starts with understanding what environmental, social, and governance (ESG) means to our clients. It starts with a conversation. At Natixis Investment Managers, our approach to ESG begins with a deep dive into our clients’ objectives. We work in a consultative approach to create a solutions-based fashion to help meet them, drawing on the expertise of our 20+ independent asset managers.
There are many pathways to ESG investing to meet a variety of objectives. One thing is clear: As ESG gains momentum around the world, investors of all kinds are paying attention. And for good reason.
Investors are asking for ESG
76%
expect fund managers to look at more than financial aspects of a company in analysis1
81%
want the ability to customize investments that match their personal values1
77%
of fund selectors plan to increase ESG offerings to meet growing investor demand2
Institutions see a clear investment rationale
63%
say there’s alpha3 to be found in ESG4
72%
find consideration of ESG factors is integral to sound investing4
72%
of institutions implement ESG (+18% since 2018)4
Understanding Today's ESG – Glossary of Terminology
(expandable)
ESG (environmental, social, governance) is widely used in the investment industry to describe three types of non-financial factors that may affect the financial performance of a company or a security:
Environmental may include factors related to renewable energy, lower carbon emissions, water management, pollution control and other ecological concerns.
Social considerations may relate to labor practices, human rights, corporate social responsibility, data protection, selling practices or corporate supply chains.
Governance issues can include the composition of boards of directors, corruption policies, auditing structure, executive pay or shareholder rights.
Active ownership involves entering into a dialogue with companies on ESG issues and exercising both ownership rights and voice to effect change.
Best-in-class selection prefers companies with better prospects of or improving ESG performance relative to sector peers.
ESG integration refers to strategies that integrate ESG factors into fundamental analysis to pursue alpha and manage risk, or may use sustainable themes to identify investment opportunities. Certain ESG strategies may also seek to exclude specific types of investments.
Exclusionary screening refers to avoiding securities of companies or countries on the basis of traditional moral values and standards and norms.
Impact investing relates to strategies that may invest in companies/organizations with explicit intention to generate positive social or environmental impact as the primary objective, alongside financial return as the secondary objective.
Sustainable investments are ESG investment strategies aimed at generating strong performance through investments that focus on companies that are moving society towards a more sustainable future.
Thematic investing refers to investing that is based on trends, such as social, industrial, and demographic trends.
Uncovering Motivations, Dispelling Myths
Below, we identify, clarify, and challenge what we believe to be many of the biggest misconceptions about ESG and sustainable investing so that conversations with clients can be more comfortable and productive.
Select a myth to learn about the realities of ESG.
ESG is just a fad.
Sustainable investing is just a public relations and marketing ploy used by asset managers.
Clients and prospective clients don’t care about ESG.
ESG assessment doesn’t add value in the investment process.
All ESG strategies perform poorly.
ESG strategies might compromise the duty of a fiduciary.
There’s no place in my portfolio for ESG-focused investments.
It’s difficult to scale ESG-focused business because it’s too hard to find the right ESG product for each client.
ESG is all about excluding sin stocks.
There’s no standard definition or classification system for ESG strategies.
Sustainable and impact can’t be found or measured in public market investments.
There are no standards for company reporting or third party ESG ratings.
Myth
ESG is just a fad
Reality
ESG is already in the mainstream—and may well represent the future of investing.
The US Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (USSIF) estimates the total US-domiciled assets under management using sustainable investing strategies grew from $12.0 trillion at the start of 2018 to $17.1 trillion at the start of 2020, an increase of 42 percent. This represents 33 percent, or one in three dollars, of the $51.4 trillion in total US assets under professional management.5 While we take this number with a grain of salt given it is based on self-reporting by money managers, we do believe that the data is directionally accurate. Those money managers surveyed by USSIF cite client demand, risk management, and alpha potential as the top reasons for incorporating ESG in their decision-making processes.
While ESG might feel nascent in some areas of the world, there are examples in the US, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere that point to its importance going forward. For example, nations across the globe are establishing frameworks for sustainable finance. Major financial organizations such as the London Stock Exchange are focusing on sustainable finance offerings, and large institutional asset owners and asset managers are forming sustainability-focused coalitions, bringing together trillions of dollars to engage with companies, industries, and policymakers on these topics. For example, Climate Action 100+ is an investor initiative engaging the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitters to encourage them to take action on climate change. To date, more than 370 investors with more than $35 trillion in assets under management have signed on to the initiative. We believe that ESG may become more the norm in investing as sustainable finance infrastructure improves, market penetration of ESG-focused products increases, and traditional asset managers integrate ESG factors across a larger portion of their assets.
Myth
Sustainable investing is just a public relations and marketing ploy used by asset managers.
Reality
We believe there is a genuine shift toward more sustainable investing. But to be clear, the level of ESG integration and intended outcomes vary from manager to manager.
While we believe that an authentic change of mindset is occurring industry-wide, understanding a manager’s history of implementing ESG—their approach, research quality, resources, and investment philosophy—is very important. You can’t rely on labeling or marketing positioning alone.
For example, not all asset managers that incorporate ESG have a goal of creating positive environmental or social change. Some only use a handful of ESG factors in their fundamental analysis, or only exclude certain stocks such as those of tobacco companies.
Myth
Clients and prospective clients don’t care about ESG.
Reality
A growing number of investors are expressing interest in ESG solutions—but they might not know to ask for them.
There is plenty of evidence showing that investors are interested in sustainable investing—and it’s not just Millennials. According to our research, 75% of US workers believe it is important to make the world a better place while growing their personal assets.6
Despite the fact that ESG is a trending topic in the financial industry today and that we are witnessing an increasing preference for these strategies, we believe many investors are not aware that ESG investing strategies exist, let alone are available to them. This can hold true even in demographics where a higher level of awareness might be expected, such as among women and Millennials. Many clients may not be convinced of the potential benefits of sustainable investing until they understand the implications for their portfolio. Follow-up conversations and information on ESG investment opportunities—including potential performance and risk implications—remain imperative.
Myth
ESG assessment doesn’t add value in the investment process.
Reality
ESG assessment, in addition to traditional analysis, may provide a clearer picture of the risks and opportunities facing an investment in a particular company.
As politics and demographics evolve in meaningful ways worldwide, the market may be underestimating long-term environmental, social and technological innovation potential and underappreciating ESG risks. We believe that taking a long-term view of businesses and integrating ESG into investment decision-making may lead to better long-term investment results. There have been many academic and industry studies that suggest that ESG quality is correlated with financial outcomes.
For example, a 2019 MSCI study7 demonstrated how ESG quality can impact stock performance, risk, and valuation. It showed that companies with stronger ESG profiles typically exhibit higher profitability, lower frequency of severe drawdowns, and lower systematic risk. The study’s results also exhibited the limitation of traditional valuation models that don’t appropriately account for all the risks that companies face today.
Myth
All ESG strategies perform poorly.
Reality
As with any style of investing, there are no performance guarantees, but an approach that aims to fully integrate ESG risks and opportunities has the potential to outperform.
Perhaps one of the most pervasive myths about ESG strategies is that investors can either invest sustainably, or seek competitive returns over time, but not both. Historically, socially responsible investment strategies were focused on excluding “sin stocks” and other controversial businesses but stopped there. As a result, this exclusionary approach may have underperformed the broader market. Moreover, other factors play a role in performance outcomes, such as manager skill. However, many managers today view ESG and sustainability factors as pathways to idea generation and risk management that have the potential to result in better financial outcomes for their clients.
Myth
ESG strategies might compromise the duty of a fiduciary.
Reality
ESG strategies and analysis can be consistent with the crucial fiduciary responsibilities of many financial professionals.
Natixis Investment Managers fully supports the Department of Labor’s latest guidance to ERISA fiduciaries on ESG and including ESG-themed options in retirement plans. In the process of evaluating what is in the best interest of the investor, we believe it is important for financial professionals to consider ESG factors along with all other material factors that may impact an investment’s risk/return potential.
We consider ESG assessment as one of the many ways to properly value securities and to identify sustainable businesses that have strong management teams and can create long-term value for shareholders. In retirement plans, ESG-themed options may sit alongside traditional options in the same asset class or style box and, if appropriate, can replace those traditional options.
Myth
There’s no place in my portfolio for ESG-focused investments.
Reality
ESG is not a separate asset class. ESG-focused offerings are available across asset classes and investment styles. ESG products may serve to complement or replace products already in your lineup, or may be used to build 100% ESG-aligned portfolios.
Because ESG investing is not an asset class or a separate style of investing, financial professionals do not necessarily need to carve out a separate portion of the portfolio for ESG strategies. They may be considered a core part of a portfolio, or a satellite component, depending on what makes sense given the particular client and the particular ESG product option.
When considering large-cap equities or municipal bonds, for example, you wouldn’t consider only the labels of available strategies. We believe the same should be true of ESG investing. Instead of focusing on the ESG label, look at how the manager implements the strategy, the strategy’s motivations, the level of ESG integration and the strategy’s characteristics and performance. Do the same due diligence you would for any other potential portfolio component. An ESG-focused international equity fund may be used in a portfolio in the same way a traditional international equity fund would be, while providing the added benefit of sustainability mindfulness.
Myth
It’s difficult to scale ESG-focused business because it’s too hard to find the right ESG product for each client.
Reality
Many ESG-focused strategies align very well with a variety of exclusion and inclusion criteria.
We understand that individual clients may express very specific or seemingly restrictive environmental or social criteria—one may be solely focused on gender equality issues while another may have zero tolerance for fossil fuel exposure. However, there are many approaches today that can address a diverse range of desired outcomes, from faith-based investment criteria to promoting investment in renewable energy. It may require a deeper conversation about the approaches used and how they ultimately align with specific criteria. Asset managers like Natixis are here to help in these discussions. Additionally, for clients more interested in individual exclusions, there are customized ESG screening options available via separately managed accounts and direct indexing strategies.
Myth
ESG is all about excluding sin stocks.
Reality
The exclusion of “sin stocks” is more representative of the early days of socially responsible investing—many of today’s approaches seek informed analysis of investment risks and opportunities.
While excluding tobacco, alcohol, and contraceptives may be a preferable investment approach for a religious institution, it may not work for everyone. There are many different ESG approaches available to investors today. Rather than focusing on exclusion alone, many implement a more affirmative approach to security selection—seeking to invest in companies with stronger overall ESG profiles and companies whose missions are directly connected to long-term sustainable development trends. ESG analysis can also be used to better understand potential investment risks and opportunities. For example, the ways in which a given company considers issues such as energy efficiency, innovation, and demographic trends can inform their long-term business outlook.
Myth
There’s no standard definition or classification system for ESG strategies.
Reality
While no universal ESG standard exists, sustainable investing protocols have evolved markedly. There are a number of ways to address client concerns about determining what investment strategies are ESG—and what type of ESG approach those strategies take.
Organizations such as Morningstar8, MSCI Inc.9, and the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment (USSIF) have worked to consolidate and codify ESG product labeling and scoring approaches. The continued efforts of these organizations to label and score funds on ESG-related metrics has helped to improve the classification of sustainable investment strategies. Some, for example, score funds based on the ESG characteristics of the underlying companies. In this case, they are not making a determination about the approach the manager is taking, but aggregating the characteristics of the underlying holdings. MSCI and Morningstar also offer a view into whether managers have an intentional ESG mandate.
Ultimately, we believe it’s best not to take any categorization, label, or rating at face value and instead try to understand a manager’s investment approach and the extent to which ESG considerations are a part of their process. Just as important is determining what type of approach may work for an individual client.
Myth
Sustainable and impact can’t be found or measured in public market investments.
Reality
Every portfolio has impact—whether positive, negative, or both—and there are methods to measure this.
Let’s start by acknowledging that any investor would be hard-pressed to find a large public company that operates in perfect harmony with ESG ideals. It follows that one would be hard-pressed to find a perfect, 100% impact-oriented portfolio consisting of equity or fixed income securities of large public companies. Nonetheless, ESG investing shouldn’t feel like a fruitless exercise. We advise against allowing the pursuit of perfection to impede progress. While it can be difficult to get clients on board with this notion, particularly if they are especially ESG-minded, explaining the manager’s rationale for owning particular companies—both from a financial and a sustainability perspective—can be persuasive.
When it comes to measuring environmental and social impact, certain metrics are easier to come by. For example, carbon footprint and gender diversity stats are readily attainable and comparable. Product and business involvement is also easily identified. Beyond that, there is more work being done by some asset managers and research firms to assess companies relative to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a means of measuring sustainability impact. For example, do the company’s products, services and behaviors align with the achievement of the UN SDGs or do they present risks? Products and services can be linked to the SDGs and then a revenue-based approach may be used to measure exposure to them.
For instance, take a wind turbine manufacturer whose practices promote resource efficiency in the manufacturing process, while simultaneously promoting employee well-being, ethical supply chains, and strong community relations. Not only are the company’s products and source of revenue (wind turbines) contributing favorably to the achievement of SDG 7 and 8 (Affordable and Clean Energy and Climate Action, respectively), among others, but their business practices also do not negatively impact other goals. In this case, it can be argued that the wind turbine manufacturer creates positive environmental impact.
Myth
There are no standards for company reporting or third party ESG ratings.
Reality
Organizations such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) have created reporting frameworks and introduced voluntary reporting guidelines and standards that have improved the transparency and comparability of corporate reporting. Many third party ratings and research providers such as Sustainalytics have also helped to gather and assess ESG data for investors.
The reporting and data available to investors regarding ESG factors and metrics continues to improve. In 2017, more than 85% of S&P 500® Index companies produced sustainability reporting, compared to just 20% in 2011.10 Additionally, there has been an uptick in the number of public companies reporting on material ESG risks and trends in their required SEC disclosures and speaking to these issues on quarterly earnings calls. Organizations such as Global Reporting Initiative and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) are helping businesses better understand the risks they are exposed to and helping them measure and communicate this to investors.
Asset owners and asset managers are increasingly relying on third party reports and ratings to assess and measure company ESG performance. This assessment and measurement also often forms the basis of investor engagement with companies on ESG matters. Many providers encourage input and engagement with their subject companies to improve or correct data where applicable.
ESG data providers play an important role by gathering and assessing information about companies’ ESG practices and then scoring those companies accordingly. The development of these ratings systems has helped to nurture the growth of ESG investing by giving asset owners and managers an alternative to conducting such extensive data collection and diligence themselves. Despite the valuable contributions these data providers have made in advancing ESG investing globally, it’s important for asset owners and managers to understand the inherent limitations of this data, as well as the challenges of relying on any one provider, as report and ratings methodology, scope and coverage vary greatly among providers.
Better World or Better Returns? ESG Investing Can Potentially Mean Both.
Investing in ESG strategies doesn’t have to mean choosing between profit and personal values. Sustainable investing can be both a means — and an end. In terms of determining if they’re implementing ESG considerations to be a better investor or make a better world, the answer from institutional investors appears to be "yes."11
No matter what the objectives, we have a range of ESG solutions designed to help our clients achieve them.
ESG can be both a means — and an end
Active ownership
Best-in-class selection
ESG integration
Exclusionary screening
Impact investing
Sustainable investments
Involves entering into a dialogue with companies on ESG issues and exercising both ownership rights and voice to effect change.
Prefers companies with better prospects of or improving ESG performance relative to sector peers.
Refers to strategies that integrate ESG factors into fundamental analysis to pursue alpha and manage risk, or may use sustainable themes to identify investment opportunities. Certain ESG strategies may also seek to exclude specific types of investments.
Refers to avoiding securities of companies or countries on the basis of traditional moral values and standards and norms.
Relates to strategies that may invest in companies/organizations with explicit intention to generate positive social or environmental impact as the primary objective, alongside financial return as the secondary objective.
Are ESG investment strategies aimed at generating strong performance through investments that focus on companies that are moving society towards a more sustainable future.
Sophisticated Products and Solutions Designed with ESG in Mind
We’re dedicated to advancing sustainable finance by developing products and alliances devoted to ESG.12 95% of our assets are managed by Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) signatories.13
Your Objectives. Our Solutions.
We offer a wide range of strategies to address different objectives, including values alignment, influence, impact, outperformance, regulatory landscape, and risk management.
Retirement Funds
Active Index Advisors® (AIA) provides direct indexing strategies that seek to produce enhanced after-tax returns. These separately managed account portfolios can be customized for tax purposes, to align with investor values and concerns, or a combination of both.
1 Natixis Investment Managers, Global Survey of Individual Investors conducted by CoreData Research, February-March 2019. Survey included 9,100 investors from 25 countries.
2 Natixis Investment Managers 2021 Global Fund Selector Outlook, conducted by CoreData Research in November and December 2020. Survey included 400 respondents in 23 countries.
3 A measure of the difference between a portfolio's actual returns and its expected performance, given its level of systematic market risk. A positive alpha indicates outperformance and negative alpha indicates underperformance relative to the portfolio's level of systematic risk.
4 Natixis Investment Managers 2021 Global Fund Selector Outlook, conducted by CoreData Research in November and December 2020. Survey included 400 respondents in 23 countries.
5 Report on US Sustainable and Impact Investing Trends 2020, US SIF and US SIF Foundation
6 Natixis Investment Managers, Survey of US Defined Contribution Plan Participants conducted by CoreData Research, January and February 2019. Survey included 1,000 US workers, 700 plan participants and 300 non-participants. Of the 1,000 respondents, 503 were Millennials (age 23-38), 249 were Gen X (age 39-54) and 248 were Baby Boomers (age 55-73).
7 MSCI ESG Research, LLC, “Foundations of ESG Investing Part 1: How ESG Affects Equity Valuation, Risk and Performance.” Contributors: Guido Giese, Linda-Eling Lee, Dimitris Melas, Zoltan Nagy, Laura Nishikawa. July 2019.
8 The Morningstar Sustainability Rating™ for funds allows investors to understand how the companies in their portfolios are managing their environmental, social, and governance – or ESG – risks relative to their peers. This rating is built to enable advisors and investors to directly compare companies across industries, and a refined design aims to make it easier to use as they make investment decisions.
9 The MSCI ESG Universal Index Family is the latest in a suite of MSCI Indexes and tools designed to help institutional investors globally integrate ESG into their investment decision-making processes.
10 Governance & Accountability Institute, Inc., Flash Report: 85% of S&P 500® Index Companies publish Sustainability Reports in 2017. S&P 500® Index is a widely recognized measure of US stock market performance. It is an unmanaged index of 500 common stocks chosen for market size, liquidity, and industry group representation, among other factors. It also measures the performance of the large-cap segment of the US equities market.
11 Natixis Investment Managers, Global Survey of Institutional Investors conducted by CoreData Research in October and November 2020. Survey included 500 institutional investors in 29 countries.
12 Not all affiliated investment managers integrate ESG considerations into decision-making to the same extent. Investors should review offering documents before investing in any strategy to fully understand the ESG integration practices used by that investment manager.
13 Assets under management (“AUM”) as of March 31, 2021. AUM, as reported, may include notional assets, assets serviced, gross assets, assets of minority-owned affiliated entities and other types of non-regulatory AUM managed or serviced by firms affiliated with Natixis Investment Managers. Being a PRI signatory does not assure that any ESG considerations are implemented in every strategy managed by the affiliated investment manager. PRI signatory firms demonstrate a commitment to adopt and implement the PRI, where consistent with fiduciary responsibilities. Affiliated investment management firms that are signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI): PRI signatory firms demonstrate a commitment to adopt and implement the PRI, where consistent with fiduciary responsibilities. Affiliated firms that are PRI signatories oversee $1,291.4B / €1,098.9B / £936.0B (or 95 percent) of Natixis Investment Managers assets as of March 31, 2021. The PRI were developed by an international group of institutional investors with the support of the United Nations Secretary General. They are voluntary and aspirational, offering a menu of possible actions for incorporating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) issues.
All investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. Investment risk exists with equity, fixed-income, and alternative investments. There is no assurance that any investment will meet its performance objectives or that losses will be avoided.
Sustainable investing focuses on investments in companies that relate to certain sustainable development themes and demonstrate adherence to environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices; therefore the universe of investments may be limited and investors may not be able to take advantage of the same opportunities or market trends as investors that do not use such criteria. This could have a negative impact on an investor's overall performance depending on whether such investments are in or out of favor.
The ability of an active investment to achieve its objectives will depend on the effectiveness of the investment manager. You cannot directly invest in an index.