“In a recent opinion piece in theFinancial Times, Toby Nangle argues that asset managers, in particular those who pride themselves on upholding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) values, should stop bidding for work with authoritarian states that have a poor human rights track record.

The list of such states is not only long, but also encompasses well over half of the wealth under sovereign funds management worldwide. No doubt such a decision would have considerable consequences on asset managers and countries alike.”

[COMMENTARY] To me, this is similar to the question of whether to invest only in companies with good ethical values. That could be a worthwhile strategy as companies with the best ethics generally do better than those with poor ethics over the long term.
On virtue, wars, and ESG values, by Sergio Scandizzo, January 27, 2023, London School of Economics, UK.