"Financial returns were cited as the biggest reason to have a strategy focused on the environment, social issues and governance, known as ESG, according to a survey of 868 institutional investors by the U.K.′s largest bank. Nearly three quarters of companies with this focus said that this was their number one driver, followed by tax incentives."

[COMMENTARY]’Financial returns’ could also be code for using ESG criteria to screen for potential material issues. As such, it reflects what other surveys of this nature report. It’s encouraging to see such huge numbers of institutional investors so engaged.
Most Investors Are Going Green to Make Money, HSBC Says, by Anna Hirtenstein, September 12, 2018, Bloomberg, USA.