By now most advisers have learnt what ESG (Environmental Social Governance) stands for, but should we treat them as equals and how do we balance the three areas competing for attention?

We asked advisers which of the E, the S and the G clients most asked for in client conversations.

There was a clear winner with 61% of advisers saying that environmental concerns were the most asked about. Exclusions are defined as specific company or sector exclusions, this would be where a client has asked an adviser to ensure none of their investments have exposure to individual businesses or industries.

When we discussed this with advisers in our in-depth interviews, advisers said that the environment was the main sustainability concern for most clients. It is seen as the easiest to understand whilst Social and Governance factors were expected to already be taken into account in any investment.

You can read the full Sustainable Investing Tracker Study here.