Global impact equities report 2022: Solutions to sustainability challenges

With Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh being the venue of this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP), it’s worth remembering that developing economies bear most of the negative effects of emissions mainly produced in industrialized nations. Therefore, the onus is on western companies to go “net zero carbon”, but how to measure their progress? One common yardstick for investors is the carbon footprint method – or the more encompassing “potential avoided emissions” method propagated by Vontobel’s impact investing team.

The renewables industry looks set to benefit from tightening regulation in the European Union, or a recently signed US law aiming to decarbonize the US power sector. The nascent “clean energy” industry, which encompasses areas such as electric vehicles, batteries, or hydrogen produced in a sustainable manner, opens new opportunities for investors as well.

Discussing sustainability matters with Chinese companies is rewarding and challenging. Part of it is fact-finding, part of it is education. But investors need to tread with caution, and little extras such as talking Chinese help, says Hong Kong-based ESG analyst Gayle Chan. She also explains the approach of mtx Equities, citing a concrete example.

In 2021, Asian internet stocks, dragged down by Chinese blue chips, massively underperformed their US peers. But the valuation chasm between Asia and the US has narrowed of late. With Chinese regulators easing their grip, the country’s internet stocks may be bottoming out, which could be an opportunity for able stock pickers.

The lockdown in Shanghai is sending shockwaves through markets while the Chinese government is trying to handle the health crisis without losing face. Still, things seem to have stabilized, and there are hopes that the leadership will crank up the economy. Markets would benefit, and so could stock pickers, according to our mtx equity experts.