ESG投资“虚火”渐熄：万亿资金告别绿色标签，回归财务基本面

Core Insights - The trend of sustainable issues returning to financial relevance is a key focus for 2026, as highlighted by MSCI's head of Sustainable and Climate Research for Greater China, Guo Sipin [1] - Despite global policy fluctuations, the scale of sustainable investment assets continues to rise, with MSCI's sustainable and climate index surpassing $1 trillion by 2025 [1] - Investors' growing recognition of the financial importance of sustainability and climate issues is influencing corporate ESG disclosure practices [1][2] Group 1: ESG Investment and Financial Relevance - ESG investment value is increasingly rooted in solid corporate fundamentals, moving away from mere conceptual speculation [2] - Events such as environmental damage, safety incidents, and antitrust investigations can lead to stock price declines and reputational damage, representing real financial risks [2] - MSCI's data since 2013 shows that companies with higher ESG ratings consistently outperform their lower-rated peers, with excess returns driven by profit growth rather than valuation expansion [2] Group 2: Corporate Disclosure and Market Trends - The percentage of MSCI ACWI constituents setting climate goals has increased from less than 10% a decade ago to nearly 60% by the end of 2025, driven by investor pressure [2] - In Europe, the introduction of comprehensive EU legislation has led to growth in disclosure rates, while in the Americas, despite a slowdown due to policy environments, disclosure continues to expand [3] - The market's assessment framework is evolving, with increasing demands for information quality and a shift from simple "green" labels to a focus on specific performance metrics [3] Group 3: Emerging Industries and Green Technology - High-growth sectors like data centers are now subject to strict ESG evaluation frameworks, with carbon emissions and energy consumption becoming key investor concerns [4] - The global carbon emissions from data centers account for approximately 2%-5%, with high growth rate predictions prompting investor scrutiny [4] - In green technology investments, companies that generate revenue from scalable, verified technologies significantly outperform those relying on early-stage technologies [4] Group 4: Climate Risk Management in Financial Institutions - Climate issues have transitioned from strategic declarations to urgent risk management challenges for financial institutions, with global regulators incorporating climate factors into supervisory frameworks [6] - Chinese banks face the highest median transition risk among 27 jurisdictions, indicating a need for improved climate risk management preparedness [6] - The proportion of Chinese banks disclosing climate risk management efforts is expected to rise from 20% in 2023 to nearly 40% by 2025 [6] Group 5: Integration of Climate Data in Banking - Climate data is becoming an essential tool for banks, particularly in risk management and client services, influencing the issuance of green bonds and financial solutions [7] - Banks are integrating climate risks into traditional risk management frameworks, assessing potential credit losses from high-carbon assets and extreme weather impacts [7] - The Asia-Pacific region, while facing high physical risk exposure, is also a center for green technology innovation and investment opportunities [7][8] Group 6: Challenges in Data Availability - The analysis of climate risks at the asset level faces challenges related to data availability, particularly for supply chain and overseas assets [8] - Future sustainable and climate analysis is expected to shift from disclosure tools to core decision-making instruments within financial institutions [8]