Investment fund distributors are easing up on environmental, social and governance requirements for asset managers on their platforms in the face of concerns about performance, questions about regulations and reporting standards, and weak demand for ESG products from end investors.
MethodologyBetween March and June 2023, Coalition Greenwich conducted 161 interviews with some of the largest fund distributors in Asia and with 158 fund distributors in Europe. Senior gatekeepers were asked to provide detailed information on their business priorities, quantitative and qualitative evaluations of their investment managers, and qualitative assessments of those managers soliciting their business. Countries and regions where interviews were conducted in Asia include Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand. In Europe, interviews were conducted in Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Greece, Iberia, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, Nordics, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.