Françoise Labbe, SFAF

Companies cannot thrive without healthy and happy employees, consumers, and communities. Investors must use their influence with companies and other stakeholders to ensure the basic rights of these groups are respected.

During the pandemic, companies have stepped up investments in technology to communicate remotely with customers and keep their businesses running. As well as boosting efficiency and profitability, it also creating investment opportunities in previously overlooked areas.

Deciding when to tighten the purse strings and hike taxes is complex at any time, and even more so when the economic fallout from COVID-19 remains unclear. Getting deficits – the gap between government spending and income – under control will need to happen eventually, but it would be a brave government that pursued such a goal now.

The professor of carbon capture and storage at the University of Edinburgh discusses why achieving net zero needs multiple technologies and explains the thinking behind the UK’s evolving approach.

Beauty is only skin deep, as the saying goes. Francois de Bruin explains what this piece of wisdom means for yield-hungry income investors.

The market for sustainable bonds to fund activities that have a positive impact on the environment or society is booming. But there are many factors to consider before investing. Not least among them is a crucial question: is your money really being used to fund the activities promised?

Ashish Dafria, chief investment officer for Aviva, discusses the investment implications of the pandemic, climate change and the macroeconomic environment for a large insurer.

Low interest rates, regulation and ESG risks are not new considerations for insurers’ investment strategies. However, the long-term fallout from COVID-19 is adding a layer of complexity they will need to adjust to.

ESG factors have long been viewed as risk factors to manage. Giles Parkinson explores the flipside of this proposition, contending that positive externalities are an under-leveraged investment opportunity.

In our monthly visual series on topical data themes, we look at whether Bitcoin could be the new gold, if COVID-19 has put pressure on London office rents, and the extent to which transport affects the carbon footprint of foods.

Talent, clusters and scale are three key reasons why Paris is one of the world’s most attractive office markets, explain Souad Cherfouh and Chris Urwin.

Recent events have shown the increasing influence of retail investors, although long-term financial success will continue to depend on making the right fundamental calls, argues Peter Fitzgerald.

The co-chair of the First UK Bus Pension Scheme Trustee discusses COVID-19, ESG and the state of the UK pensions industry.

For too long, the investment industry has relied on staid recruitment methods that maintain the status quo. By doing things differently, we can improve diversity and future-proof our businesses, says Apiramy Jeyarajah.

The new US president is prepared to carry the torch for a shrinking band of globalists, but the growing trend of economic nationalism will prove hard to reverse.

While inflation is expected to rise after last year’s lows, it will likely be transitory. Sunil Krishnan explores what this means for the economy, yield curves and equity markets.