July 2023
Abstract: In this study, we surveyed over 16,000 respondents in eight countries to collect information on individuals’ preferences for sustainable investing, ownership of ESG investment products, as well as their level of financial literacy, investing sophistication and understanding of topics connected to ESG criteria. We find that interest in sustainable investing is popular among adults in the eight countries, especially among younger generations. However, actual ownership of ESG investments is still limited in most countries. Most importantly, many investors lack awareness about the sustainability profile of their investments and believe that lack of knowledge, experience, and transparency are the main barriers to ESG investing. When we assessed respondents’ knowledge of topics connected to ESG criteria and financial and investing concepts, we found that most respondents and investors lack the basic knowledge to make savvy investment decisions regarding ESG investing.