Nov, 12, 2008 (CSR Asia) -- The inclusion of environmental, social and governance criteria in the screening of investments is increasing within Asian investment funds. At the CSR Asia Summit in Bangkok, two institutions at the forefront of this trend met to discuss the future of responsible investment.

Claire McLetchie from ASrIA provided an overview of the concepts of SRI “Sustainable Responsible Investment” and ESG “Environmental, Social and Governance” issues. She presented the results so far from the “Carbon Disclosure Project”, which tracks company responses to climate change issues globally. Although a rising number of Asian companies are disclosing their responses, the level of awareness and responsiveness is still very low, with less than half of companies responding to requests for information. In a more positive note, the panelist noted that pension funds and asset managers globally are increasingly including ESG criteria and that convergence of standards is taking place. The UN’s Principles for Responsible Investment currently have 250 signatories, including a handful in the major Asian economies.

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