Andrew Crooke

While sustainable investment themes and practices are making steady in-roads across the region, the pace would increase with greater asset choice and standardised data, finds the latest AsianInvestor / S&P Dow Jones Indices ESG poll.

The past year has seen something of a growth spurt for green bonds, with the market heading toward the $1 trillion milestone, according to data from the Climate Bonds Initiative and Bloomberg. It has also seen the emergence of social bonds, used for social investments with aims such as expanding access to healthcare and education. As well as significant government bond launches, there has been increased issuance from the corporate sector and from a wider range of businesses and industries.

Studies show that when comparing the long-term returns of listed and unlisted real estate vehicles based on the same underlying assets, the listed sector is an effective proxy for direct property investment. However, listed real estate (LRE) has the benefit of higher transparency, diversification, unmatched liquidity and a lower hurdle to global access compared to direct property.