In a recent report, Impact Investing at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch said 58 percent of its high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients consider social and environmental impact an important part of investment decision-making. That is up from 45 percent who felt that way two years ago.
The growth of sustainable investing is being driven by millennials and women, according to Bank of America. Eighty-five percent of millennials and 71 percent of women feel that the social and environmental impact of the companies they invest in is important to their investment decisions.
At the same time, 71 percent of all investors think it is better to invest in companies that have a positive social or environmental impact rather than trying to boycott companies that have a harmful impact, Bank of America says.