Performance tops investors’ motives for responsible investing

Top 5 reasons for investing in RI

1. Better performance – 53%
2. Align with my values – 46%
3. Better risk management – 38%
4. Better management for climate-change risks – 34%
5. Better shareholder rights to keep boards aligned – 28%

Understanding the performance benefits

Just as investors are understanding the performance benefits of RI, so too are advisors, as nearly one-third (32%) believe portfolios with RI have yielded above market-rate returns in the past year, compared with just 12% and 4% in 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

32% of advisors say portfolios with RI have yielded above market-rate returns in the past year.

Even more striking in this year’s study is the increase in advisors who say that investors incorporating RI in their portfolios typically outperform those without responsible investments.

Investors say companies have a responsibility to safeguard the environment

When it comes to the state of the environment, nearly all investors feel that companies should be taking an engaged and proactive approach.

When asked about their attitudes about companies’ management and the environment, investors said:

Making a difference still matters to investors

While performance and risk management are important to investors, the vast majority still want to make a positive impact on society and the environment through their investment choices, something that has increased in importance in recent years.

Risk reduction resonates

70% of advisors say superior risk management is the top reason why their high-net-worth clients invest in RI, increasing 79% from last year.
38% of investors say it is their top reason for investing in RI.

Governance gains ground

Companies have always had an important role to play in society, but with the rapid spread of the coronavirus roiling global markets, companies’ practices and abilities to handle such a significant crisis are drawing attention. Corporate governance, which represents the “G” in ESG, is defined as the diversity, sustainability and equity associated with a company’s corporate structure and board.

Even before the pandemic hit, a large majority of the investors we surveyed agreed that:

Sound governance practices

Investor perception that RI engages in sound governance practices has jumped from 67% in 2015 to 76% in 2019.

Now trending

The vast majority of investors feel the country is in need of political and social change, and feel more engaged in current events than five years ago (77%). Investors continue to want to be heard and say that their voices will make a difference, with 82% agreeing that consumer and investor pressure will bring about change faster than waiting for the next election.



Investors are not afraid to broadcast their feelings online in reaction to negative news about a company, with many reporting they have taken at least one of the following actions:

More engaged

Advisors are significantly more engaged too, with the number of advisors who actively alert their clients about corporate scandals increasing nearly 54%, rising from 48% in 2018 to 74% in 2019.

Opportunity for advisors: Building knowledge, building business

Interest in and familiarity with RI are increasing. Advisors have noticed that investor interest in responsible investing has been increasing since 2015, from 41% up to 69% in 2019. 

The vast majority of advisors (81%) acknowledge that their clients want strong performance, but there has been a significant shift in their perception of clients’ desire to do good. The number of advisors who describe their clients as committed to social and environmental causes in their portfolio choices jumped from 44% in 2018 to 74% in 2019. 

Advisors are taking cues from the rising investor interest in RI by proactively discussing it with clients. 



These conversations are having a positive impact on investor opinions:

Knowledge of RI is clearly building among advisors, but certain challenges persist

Today, more than four in five advisors (85%) say they have at least some familiarity with the concept of RI, and strong familiarity has risen sharply, nearly doubling in the past year.

In 2015, the first year of our survey, only 18% of advisors said they were “very familiar” with RI.


But while advisors report feeling more familiar with RI and are increasing conversations, they face hurdles when it comes to explaining and implementing RI with clients, even more so than in previous years.


And over half admit to feeling embarrassed talking about RI due to lack of knowledge.


Which generation is leading the way in RI? Spoiler alert: It’s not millennials.
There is one segment of the population that is currently taking the lead in interest in RI. And it might not be who most would think.

Sandwiched between baby boomers and millennials, Gen Xers may sometimes feel like the “forgotten middle child.” And while millennials have long held the spotlight in driving awareness of ESG factors in investing, our survey suggests that greater interest in RI is coming from an older slice of the population — Generation X. When asked which demographic showed the most interest in RI: 

These results suggest that advisors have a huge opportunity to proactively discuss RI with older clients.

About the survey
The Fifth Annual Responsible Investing Survey is a trended analysis of key issues facing advisors and investors. Nuveen commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct surveys of both populations, enabling the study to identify gaps between the perceptions of investors and of advisors. The advisors’ survey was conducted online from 09 Dec 2019 – 07 Jan 2020 among 310 employed financial professionals in the U.S. Advisor data did not require any statistical weighting in order to reflect the advisor universe. The affluent investor survey was conducted online from 09 Dec – 26 Dec 2019 among 1,007 affluent investors: U.S. residents over age 21 with $100,000 in investable assets (excluding workplace defined contribution accounts or real estate), who consider themselves the decision-maker for financial decisions and who currently work with a financial professional. Investor results were statistically weighted by various demographics where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population. The data was also adjusted to reflect respondents’ propensity to be online.