Adopted by companies, sustainability practices began to attract attention in the financial market, considering the enhancement of their reputation. Sustainable investments represent financial tools that companies use to consolidate their role as impact agents in promoting sustainability.
Through ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices, companies adopt impact-oriented business approaches to environmental issues and social and corporate governance.
The Brazilian Association of Financial and Capital Market Entities (Anbima), at the request of the ESG Practice, highlighted a 74% increase in the number of equity funds related to sustainability and corporate governance, from 2008 to March 2022. At the beginning of this period, there were only 27, by March 2022, this number had already reached 47 products. The assets of these funds grew 96% in the same period, jumping from R$1.03 billion to R$2.01 billion in March 2022.
Investors seek to obtain effective results and align themselves with future market trends. They also aim to meet society’s demands and use technologies that allow actions to benefit the environment without harming financial performance. In this context, sustainable investments emerge as advantageous alternatives in the market.
In recent years, there has been a significant growth in the number of investments aimed at socio-environmental impacts. According to the company MorningStar, in 2019, there were already around 303 sustainable funds in the United States, which was equivalent to a third of investments in the country compared to the end of 2014.
In Brazil, the search for ESG investments has also grown, with these assets representing approximately 44% of the total traded on B3, the Brazilian stock exchange. The amount invested in this type of application increased substantially, reaching around US$20 trillion.
B3 also provides the Corporate Sustainability Index (CSI), a tool that helps identify investments aligned with environmental, social, and governance standards.
Investing in companies committed to sustainability begins with the search for “green portfolios”, such as Ativa Investimentos’ ESG Portfolio, which focuses on companies committed to good ESG practices. Another option is to analyze a Sustainable Investment Fund, which follows an ESG index.
Investing sustainably plays a fundamental role in ensuring positive socio-environmental impacts from corporate actions. Furthermore, this practice helps future generations enjoy a healthy and sustainable ecosystem.
