14 November 2021 - 13:59In recent years a growing number of banks and investment firms globally have started to withdraw their support for businesses without plans to transition away from a reliance on non-renewable energy resources.
However, while the influence of ESG in boardrooms is increasingly driving investment-based decisions, the question that needs to be asked is just how much weight ESG principles should carry. KAS, a German political party foundation that does diverse work globally, all underpinned by the principles of freedom, justice and solidarity, operates in more than 100 countries. KAS project manager Christoph Kleiber pointed out that ESG was becoming an increasingly important topic.In the 1990s, SA was regarded as a global leader as far as corporate governance was concerned.
Pension funds adjudicator Muvhango Lukhaimane pointed out that pension funds in SA had traditionally been focused on governance but less so on environmental and social elements. From a governance perspective, their challenge is that trust in pension funds has been eroded amid accusations of mismanagement and corruption, with most still to incorporate social elements, she said.