Patrick Bradley, Senior Vice President Investment Research, Brandywine Global, Feb 2019

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors have increasingly become a part of investment research efforts, whether the focus is equities, corporate bonds or sovereign bonds. Investor interest continues to grow as well. ESG’s impact on investments is gaining traction. The information void continues to be filled and investment managers have increased efforts to develop research that integrates these factors into their investment processes. Rating agencies are increasingly focused on such factors, particularly the impact of governance on sustainable growth. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has indicated that governance “is key to economic success.” We continue to advance our efforts as well.