On the road to ESG investment in Qatar

On the road to ESG investment in Qatar

The global pandemic has brought to the fore the lingering gaps in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) finance and the need to adopt sustainable investment strategies that allow investors to achieve a balance between profit and social responsibility. For many, this meant betting on green initiatives to shore up their ethical credentials with new, sustainable business models.

According to the current trends revealed by the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, these investments have become increasingly mainstream, accounting for more than USD 35 trillion in the five largest global markets, a 15% growth between 2018 and 2020, and 36% of all professionally managed assets across regions the organisation cover.

However, many opportunities to advance sustainable investments remain untapped. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), despite a solid global FDI rebound in 2021, the recovery of Social Development Goals (SDGs) relevant investments in developing economies remains weak. The number of SDGs-relevant investment projects in the developing world rose by only 11%, far less than desired. These latest figures reiterate the importance of shifting towards sustainable investment and pinpoints the untapped opportunities for firms to capitalise on within the ESG standards.

Qatar on the path to ESG-investment growth

Long before the adoption