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Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Sustainable and responsible investments (ESG) are now regarded as 'safe havens' by the majority of investors, reveals a study.

According to the financial services firm deVere, nearly 60% of its clients seeking to include ESG investments in their portfolios believe sustainable funds offer financial protection in times of uncertainty.

The firm said investors were increasing exposure to ESG strategies in a similar way to how they would approach traditional safe havens, such as gold and US bonds during market volatility. A safe-haven asset is a financial instrument that is expected to retain or even gain value during periods of economic downturn.

Chief executive Nigel Green said there's been a "massive" surge from clients looking for ESG investments this year with more than a quarter of deVere's 80,000 clients saying they were considering or already in responsible and sustainable investments. "It's a phenomenon that's particularly prevalent with millennials, with eight out of 10 putting ESG credentials at the heart of their investment decision-making process."

"The global public health crisis has acted as a wake-up call in many respects. It has prompted a growing collective awareness of mutual responsibility that fits perfectly into the narrative of ESG investing," Green added.

"But what's most surprising is that the majority [56%] also now say that they perceive ESG investments as the new safe-haven asset class. As such, they......................

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