The ESG Phenomenon - Barclays Private Bank Study

Editorial Staff

24 November 2020

Environmental, social and governance-driven investment is a glue holding different family generations together, encouraging them to find common ground over money, a study has found.

A study by among 402 high net worth individuals found that 68 per cent of older people say their children have led the family to consider sustainable investment.

Sustainable investing resonates with HNW individuals of all ages. One in ten (11 per cent) of all generations say that having a positive environmental impact is a top personal aim, and over a third (37 per cent) strongly agree that responsible investing is now important to them.

The findings appeared in Barclays Private Bank’s Smarter Succession: The Challenges and Opportunities of Intergenerational Wealth Transfer research. The study was undertaken by intelligence business Savanta.

The study found that for around four in five of each of the studied age groups, investing responsibly is important to them to some extent, with 81 per cent of under 40 year-olds, 77 per cent of 41 to 60 year-olds and 86 per cent of over 60 year-olds agreeing.

Changing attitudes have led to a substantial shift in the way HNW families are investing, with almost four in five (78 per cent) expressing their views on social and environmental responsibility in their investments.

This shift is highest in the UK (83 per cent) and the Middle East (82 per cent). India is lower in comparison, but still with 62 per cent investing with social and environmental considerations, this indicates that there is a significant international movement towards a more sustainable investment approach.

Respondents to the study live in France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Singapore, the UAE and the UK.