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Universal ownership: why environmental externalities matter to institutional investors
05 October 2010
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Key Findings
- US$ 6.6 trillion The estimated annual environmental costs from global human activity equating to 11% of global GDP in 2008.
- US$ 2.15 trillion The cost of environmental damage caused by the world's 3,000 largest publicly-listed companies in 2008.
- >50% The proportion of company earnings that could be at risk from environmental costs in an equity portfolio weighted according to the MSCI All Country World Index.
Extract
Large institutional investors are, in effect, "Universal Owners", as they often have highly-diversified and long-term portfolios that are representative of global capital markets. Their portfolios are inevitably exposed to growing and widespread costs from environmental damage caused by companies. They can positively influence the way business is conducted in order to reduce externalities and minimise their overall exposure to these costs. Long-term economic wellbeing and the interests of beneficiaries are at stake. Institutional investors can, and should, act collectively to reduce financial risk from environmental impacts.
Why did UN PRI commission the research?
This report helps investors measure the unaccounted costs of business activities by putting a price on natural resources that power business but rarely show up on corporate balance sheets. This study provides an important rationale for action by large institutional investors that have a financial interest in the wellbeing of the economy as a whole.
By exercising ownership rights and through constructive dialogue with companies and public policy makers, these "Universal Owners" can encourage the protection of natural capital needed to maintain the economy and investment returns over the long term. Many Universal Owners are signatories to the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), and we hope they continue to exercise leadership and responsible ownership by acting on the ideas and recommendations in this report.
This research also brings a responsible investor perspective to United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP's) Green Economy Initiative, particularly en route to the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development - also known as "Rio+20". Indeed this work represents an opportunity to take another step in the transformational process to develop a sustainable global economy.
Report image: Environmental costs for top 5 sectors
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