ESG-themed investing has grown over the past few years. Last week, for example, BNP Paribas issued an 83-page report about entrepreneurs and impact investing, which found that more “elite entrepreneurs” around the world want to make a positive impact through their businesses. In October, UBS showcased its own efforts in this area at a conference, as reported here.

According to a recent survey of US asset managers by Cerulli Associates, the analytics firm, a rising percentage of asset managers look at environmental, social and governance factors alongside more traditional financial tests to identify opportunities and risks. And a recent report by Boston Consulting Group and MITSloan Management Review found that investments that deliver financial results are closely correlated with those that are deemed sustainable (Investing For A Sustainable Future, 11 May 2016). Separately, a study by Barclays found that investment-grade bonds with higher ESG scores outperformed those with low ESG scores between 2007 and 2015 (source: MSCI). Impact investing has a way to go in terms of size, but the amounts are already large. There are $60 billion of impact investing assets under management, and $12.2 billion of fresh investment was expected to be put in place last year, according to the , a forum for the sector. One forecast has impact investing AuM topping $3 trillion over the next decade.