Assets managed in environmental, social and governance (ESG) mandates by the 500 largest asset managers in the world rose by 23.3 percent in 2018, in contrast to their overall assets under management (AUM), which were down 3 percent from the previous year, according to the latest Global 500 research from the Thinking Ahead Institute. Assets managed according to ESG principles also increased over the year, by 17.8 percent.
BlackRock, which has been the largest asset manager since 2009, has almost $6 billion invested along ESG principles. Vanguard Group holds more than $4.8 billion in ESG-focused investments, and State Street Global has more than $2.5 billion. Each has been among the top three global asset managers for five years.
Sustainability and the importance of culture in the effective practice of investment organizations were key areas of interest in 2018. The report notes connecting the dots from culture to strategy, to beliefs and values, and to vision and missi
