The first quarter had a few surprises in store for the markets. The US tariff announcements shook the markets to the core and caused a volatile stock market environment. The environmental technology sector was not spared either. What is the outlook for the sector? We asked fund managers Clemens Klein and Alexander Weiß in a double interview.
All articles on the topic “Sustainability”

Environmental stocks: How is the sector faring in the current volatile environment?
The first quarter had a few surprises in store for the markets. The US tariff announcements shook the markets to the core and caused a volatile stock market environment. The environmental technology sector was not spared either. What is the outlook for the sector? We asked fund managers Clemens Klein and Alexander Weiß in a double interview.
The ethical business case: What is the case for ESG?
Climate protection has long since arrived in the financial industry. Even though there has recently been political headwind for ESG in some countries, the topic remains important for investors. This is because taking sustainability factors into account makes sense for companies in a number of ways. You can find out more about this in the article.
Mobility of the future: is the solution electric?
The European automotive industry is undergoing a transformation on the one hand, and is in crisis on the other. Both consumers and carmakers in Europe seem to be struggling with the question of the future of mobility. We therefore take a fact-based look at the direction in which the (car) journey could go.
Microfinance: A journey through emerging Kenya
Kenya is one of the largest economies in sub-Saharan Africa and is currently the most heavily weighted country on the African continent in the ERSTE RESPONSIBLE MICROFINANCE fund. Fund manager Martin Cech therefore recently visited the country and a number of companies and microcredit borrowers.

News from the world of active ownership: the Voting & Engagement Report 2023 is here!
The Voting & Engagement Report 2023 provides interesting insights into our voting behavior and our corporate dialogues over the past year. In terms of engagement in particular, there are some new companies with which we are actively engaging to promote greater sustainability.
Biodiversity: Engagement for our nature
Around 8.7 million different species live on Earth – and they all provide important “ecosystem services”. This is precisely why the protection of biodiversity is essential. In the area of engagement, this year we are focusing on the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and are making contact with one of the world’s largest corporations in this sector.
The wolf and the eight little goats: a climate-saving reinterpretation
The basis for a sustainable transformation is solid structures at the management level of companies – this also applies to the oil and gas industry. However, the most recent example of a prevented shareholder proposal shows that there is still a lot of room for improvement in this area too.
Integrated equity research, or: what is this “ESG” thing in my portfolio all about?
How are sustainability factors integrated into the equity analysis and what aspects does a fund manager look at in the companies? Our Austrian equity fund manager Bernhard Haas explains this using an example company.
Interview: Minimizing climate risks effectively
Companies have to deal intensively with the risks and opportunities that the climate crisis brings for their business model. These factors therefore also play a major role in our investment process. Stefanie Schock, Senior Research Analyst in our Responsible Investments team, explains how this works for the ERSTE WWF STOCK ENVIRONMENT equity fund.
Annual General Meetings (AGMs) 2024: dispute about shareholder rights
We also supported numerous shareholder motions during this year’s Annual General Meeting season. However, there were also occasional disagreements regarding motions and fundamental shareholder rights.