The plan to make Australia a renewable energy superpower featured heavily throughout this year’s Federal Budget — which translates into opportunities to attract more capital from asset owners and the private sector.
Labor’s proposals to ban early access to retirement savings and direct super funds to invest into nation building projects might be seen as an overstep by the government.
The move follows elevation of ESG from investment risk to a corporate risk and a substantial rotation from active to passive mandates, and is likely to presage additional ESG hires.
Government commitments to sustainable finance are expected to help unlock significant capital and improve investment opportunities for asset owners in the region.
While far from immune to global economic weakness and risks, the APAC region has more resilient growth projections in the medium term, buoyed by its growing middle class, says Richard van den Berg, fund manager for M&G Asia Property Strategy.
Commodities and more aggressive alternative strategies are among the options being explored as institutional investors look to counter potential threat.