Politics and ESG: how 2022 set the agenda for investors in 2023

Glimmer of hope?

War and the rising energy costs, UK political upheaval and geopolitical tensions, and a global backlash against ESG investing were just some of the challenges investors faced over the past year.

Yet, while the effects on markets are still visible, the end of the year saw a glimmer of hope. Global stock and bond markets rebounded strongly in the final quarter of 2022, with the prospect of peak inflation and a moderation in the Federal Reserve's tightening cycle lifting the market's mood. In 2023, no doubt investors will be asking whether this change in outlook will continue. UK politics, geopolitical tensions and the climate revolution remain front and centre, while questions from the last quarter still loom, many of which highlight some wider expectations for 2023. UK politic...