ESG 2.0 - Emerging Asia

ESG 2.0: Emerging Asia – Basic Material Report When analysing the Asian markets form a financial investment perspective, two characteristics spring to mind: • Asia is back. Most countries in Asia have seen astonishing economic growth over a sustained period of time, creating the emergence of a new middle class. In the wake of the regional dynamic, other markets are just about to kick-start economic growth. The dynamic economic development represents – amongst others – new investment opportunities. Huge new investment opportunities. • Sustainability in the corporate world has come of age and is regarded a value-adding element of strategic development. However, ESG research methodologies have somehow stagnated – with the result that ESG ratings today, show a suspiciously strong correlation to company size and sustainability report volumes. In other words: conventional ESG research methodologies are no longer able to identify outstanding sustainable value. The question is – how to iden