A top equity portfolio strategist at Goldman Sachs shares his four essential ESG trends that you need to be thinking about

• 2020 has presented the global community with one of the harshest ever wake-up calls, pushing ESG issues to the fore of the investment world.
• Here are the four trends Luke Barrs, who is head of fundamental equity client portfolio management in EMEA and Asia (ex-Japan) for Goldman Sachs Asset Management, is watching.
• “The push we have now for greater social equality, for better income equality, and gender and ethnic diversity is an important conversation and one that should have happened a lot longer ago,” he said.

2020 has presented the global community with one of the harshest ever wake up calls.

The year started with the wildfires in Australia and pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, followed by the coronavirus crisis, interspersed by protests over racial inequality across the United States after the police killing of George Floyd – an unarmed Black man. For many, it has been a year of reflection, a time to consider how our actions impact the world, and investors are no exception.

This has accelerated the growing interest in businesses that meet strict environmental, social and governance criteria, making ESG a mainstream part of the financial landscape.