Australasian ESG funds don't live up to hype, says academic

Australasian ESG funds don't live up to hype, says academic
Sebastian Gehricke says there's no standardised way to measure a company's ESG performance. (Image: University of Otago)
Greg Hurrell
Fund managers who have signed up to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment principles often perform no better, or even worse than, other funds on those benchmarks.Dr Sebastian Gehricke is a senior lecturer at the University of Otago and is a member of its Climate & Energy Finance Group. He told a Sharesies’ Shared Lunch webinar that even on the easiest measured metric of greenhouse gas emissions, many fund managers substantially underreported the data.The University of Otago had published a preliminary paper calle...

More Sustainable Finance

NZ should welcome Chinese cleantech expertise: Lord Turner
Climate change

NZ should welcome Chinese cleantech expertise: Lord Turner

The election of Donald Trump meant a ‘wrenching change’ in US climate policy.

Greg Hurrell 10 Sep 2025
Asset managers caught between two visions of climate change
Sustainable Finance

Asset managers caught between two visions of climate change

NZ's climate-related disclosure regime has focused investors' minds.

Greg Hurrell 04 Sep 2025
Auckland's Park Hyatt is first NZ hotel with 4-star green rating
Travel

Auckland's Park Hyatt is first NZ hotel with 4-star green rating

The hotel is the first to make the grade judged on its ongoing operations.

Staff reporters 29 Aug 2025
Pacific Channel launches $50m renewable energy fund
Energy

Pacific Channel launches $50m renewable energy fund

Pacific Channel’s Fund V aims to make seven renewable energy projects shovel-ready.

Greg Hurrell 25 Aug 2025