Mirjam Staub-Bisang, Head of BlackRock Switzerland, the largest investment firm in the world, has no doubts: without considering sustainability, nothing can work, not even in finance.
Those who are able to enter the luxury sector – buyers and stakeholders alike – will undoubtedly have funds to invest; nowadays, when choosing the best investment solution, one of the main factors that contribute to assessing in what companies to invest is their sustainability portfolio.
Data and statistics back this trend: if just a couple of years ago, in 2011, only 20% of the S&P 500-listed companies were publishing sustainability reports, figures have now reached 90%.
Why is investing in a sustainable corporate mission so important? As Mirjam Staub-Bisang points out
it is profitable to make investments that take the environment, social responsibility and corporate government into account. The performances of most sustainable investments have outdone those of traditional investments during last March’s crisis. Our studies show that this had already happened in previous crises. Investing in sustainability pays off
Not just the respect of the environment and a sustainable conscience: the biggest investors choose this type of companies because they are considered to have a better risk management than those not having wisely outlined their sustainability plan. Therefore, in perspective, thinking in the long run, the first ones could make higher profits than the second ones.
Sustainability is not only utopia then, but once again intertwines with luxury and finance, too, in a virtuous cycle or a prophecy that comes true: long-run profits benefit investors, who will thus keep allocating capitals and fuelling more and more only those companies that will be able to enhance their sustainable choices.
