It was a popular choice and was originally to be given by Sam Adams of Dimensional. Although Sam left the company recently to further his interest in sustainable investment, we were fortunate that Patrick Fogarty from Dimensional, who has worked closely with Sam on the research into the launch of the Sustainable Investment fund, was able to step into his shoes. We heard how detailed research had indicated that interest in sustainable investing was growing fast.
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Patrick then shared the three strands of sustainable investing that make up the ESG approach: Environmental; Social and Governance.
He went on to explain Dimensional's approach to asset allocation as well as dismissing the myth that choosing sustainable criteria for investing dampened the prospects for performance.
Finally, we went on to explore some of the reasons that clients wish to invest in sustainable funds, these which often involve deeper values than just wishing to exclude investments such as arms and tobacco. Many people want to know that their investment is having a positive effect on society.