November 2025 Newsletter
News & Commentaries by Ron Robins
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New November Podcast:
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Does ESG Investing Pay off? Comparing the Performance of ESG and Traditional ETFs Across European and US Markets. “In Europe, ESG ETFs improve risk-adjusted performance in utility-maximizing strategies. In the United States, ESG ETFs also enhance returns adjusted for risk in utility-maximizing portfolios during periods of market stress, though this advantage is less evident in more stable market conditions.”
[COMMENTARY] There have been many studies like this, mostly showing similar results.
Does ESG Investing Pay off? Comparing the Performance of ESG and Traditional ETFs Across European and US Markets, by Sandra Tenorio-Salgueiro, Andrea Martínez-Salgueiro, Rubén Lado-Sestayo, Milagros Vivel-Búa, November 25, 2025, Business Strategy and the Environment, USA.
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EU opens door to ESG labels for companies producing ‘controversial’ weapons. “Despite objections from the left, the European Parliament has approved a tweak to sustainable finance benchmarks that would open it up to companies producing “controversial weapons”.
[COMMENTARY] This debate as to whether weapons manufacturers can be classified as ESG ‘compliant’ or as ethical investments has heated up since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now it looks like the EU has said ‘yes’. that weapons manufacturers can be classified as ESG-compliant. However, I would assume these firms must still be examined and rated by relevant ESG rating entities.
EU opens door to ESG labels for companies producing ‘controversial’ weapons, Paula Soler & Vincenzo Genovese, November 26, 2025, Euro News, France.
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Global Sustainable Finance Market Forecast to Surge at 24.19% CAGR, Europe Commands Largest 40% Market Share. “The Global Sustainable Finance Market reached approximately US$895.12 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach about US$5,064.94 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of around 24.19% during the forecast period from 2025 to 2032.”
[COMMENTARY] To many ethical and sustainable investors, these projections seem wildly optimistic. However, outside the US, they seem more plausible. In the US, what would happen if the Democrats gain victories in the 2026 mid-term elections and then in the federal election in 2028?
Global Sustainable Finance Market Forecast to Surge at 24.19% CAGR, Europe Commands Largest 40% Market Share, by DataM intelligence 4 Market Research LLP, press release in Open PR, November 27, 2025, UK.
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The Trump administration gets it right on limiting the power of proxy advisory firms such as ISS and Glass Lewis. “The reporting this week that the Trump administration is moving to craft an executive order potentially limiting the power of proxy advisory firms such as ISS and Glass Lewis, along with the reported FTC investigation into whether these firms have violated antitrust laws, should be celebrated across the political spectrum. As longtime corporate governance scholars, we believe these moves are not only correct but long overdue.”
(COMMENTARY) These proxy advisory firms save companies and investors from thinking hard about proxy decisions. It’s an easy way to ‘pass the buck’. Many poor decisions have arisen, and investors not fulfilling their role as ‘owners’.
The Trump administration gets it right on limiting the power of proxy advisory firms such as ISS and Glass Lewis, by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, November 16, 2025, Yahoo! Finance, USA.
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Republican AGs warn companies about European ESG compliance. “A coalition of 16 Republican state attorneys general sent letters in October 2025 to corporate leaders at Microsoft, Google, and Meta alleging that compliance with the European Union’s sustainability directives could violate U.S. law.”
(COMMENTARY) Investors need to watch carefully how this unfolds. It could have market implications!
Republican AGs warn companies about European ESG compliance, by Jon Dunn, November 24, 2025, Ballotpedia News, USA.
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The hidden cost of slashing ESG budgets. “A PwC Global Investor survey found that 50% of investors are now willing to divest from companies that fail to take sufficient action on material ESG issues. By pulling back on verifiable transition planning, a CFO is sending a clear signal to sophisticated investors that the firm is unprepared for the structural changes ahead.”
[COMMENTARY] I believe the drive for companies to exceed analysts’ earnings per share estimates is fiercer today than ever. As the information in this article suggests, this drive harms long-term operational and financial performance. Thus, investors are becoming increasingly aware of these games in the C-suite and are finally starting to rebel against them.
The hidden cost of slashing ESG budgets, by Nikita Alexander, November 5, 2025, The CFO, USA.
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New Investor Tool Reveals How 6,000 Mutual Funds and ETFs Scored on Social Justice. “As You Sow today released Social Justice Funds, a free online platform scoring thousands of investment funds on racial justice, gender equality, corporate diversity, and LGBTQ+ equity.”
[[COMMENTARY] As You Sow is a highly reputable organization. Hence, any investor tool they put online is likely to be worth taking notice of.
New Investor Tool Reveals How 6,000 Mutual Funds and ETFs Scored on Social Justice, by As You Sow, October 30, 2025, USA.
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Greenhushing: When Companies Don’t Want To Publicize Their Climate Progress. “At first glance, it seems as if lots of companies are reneging on their original net zero goals. But a closer look reveals that many organizations haven’t given up at all — in fact, they’re just de-emphasizing their climate progress in public communications. It’s a phenomenon known as greenhushing, and it’s becoming increasingly common.”
[COMMENTARY] Surveys reveal that many companies are reticent to talk about their sustainability and ESG activities even though they pursue them. Why? Because the climate to speak about these issues is often negative. But, they know that these sustainable and ESG initiatives frequently benefit their operations and financial performance!
Greenhushing: When Companies Don’t Want To Publicize Their Climate Progress, by Carolyn Fortuna, October 30, 2025, CleanTechnica, USA.
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How ESG Tokenization Platforms Are Transforming the Future of Sustainable Investing in Web3? “Reimagining sustainable investing through blockchain-powered ESG tokenization in the Web3 era.”
[COMMENTARY] The era of tokenization of assets, both tangible and intangible, is arriving. The world of finance could look very different in a few years. This will require investors to be schooled in the opportunities for this new era.
How ESG Tokenization Platforms Are Transforming the Future of Sustainable Investing in Web3? By Jack Santo, October 28, 2025, Vocal Media, USA.
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Featured Book
Note: Ron Robins is an Amazon Associate. He thus earns fees from qualifying book or merchandise purchases referred from this website.
The New Sustainability Edge: Redefining Business from Startups to Industry Leaders. This book challenges conventional approaches to sustainability and redefines what it means to create lasting impact. Featuring insights from 30 world-class academics, researchers, and business leaders, this essential guide explores how businesses can move beyond profit-driven models to embrace sustainability as a core strategy for success.”
For more information, visit: The New Sustainability Edge: Redefining Business from Startups to Industry Leaders, by Philip Kotler and Khalid Hasan,
© 2025 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul
