The number of high-net-worth (HNW), core affluent, and mass affluent investors holding ethical and sustainable investments has roughly doubled over the past year, according CoreData.

The CoreData research obtained by Financial Standard seeks to capture shifting sentiment, trends, and responses to market events, across different wealth levels, ranging from mass affluent – investors with a household income of at least $150,000 to $300,000 or personal income of $100,000 to $150,000 – to HNW investors with portfolios over $1 million, excluding superannuation and the home they live in.

In the final quarter of 2024, around one in five investors surveyed reported holding ethical and/or sustainable investments – about double the share during the same period the year prior.

CoreData research consultant Anna Vennonen noted there was a change in sentiment toward ESG around 2022, coinciding with the invasion of Ukraine and escalating geopolitical uncertainty, but broadly, sentiment has steadily improved since.