Rich Investors Struggle to Square Profits With Green Ambitions

The rich across the globe have big ambitions for sustainable investing -- the type of portfolios that help combat climate change or tackle societal problems. The reality is more complex.

More than 80% of affluent and high-net-worth individuals in Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore and the U.K. say sustainable, environmental and ethical issues matter. Yet less than a third of their investments currently consider ESG factors, while more than half still believe they have to sacrifice returns to invest in a sustainable way, according to a survey of 1,000 people published Thursday from HSBC Asset Management and Core Data Research.