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Are defence stocks ESG? Fund managers are divided

Hendrik du Toit, chief executive of Ninety One Asset Management: 'I'd be worried about the defence industry slipping in through the back door'

The war in Ukraine has raised the question of whether or not defence stocks should be classed as sustainable investments
The war in Ukraine has raised the question of whether or not defence stocks should be classed as sustainable investments Photo: Laurel Chor/Getty Images

The brutal war being fought in Ukraine has thrown up a dilemma for the world's fund managers: whether or not defence stocks should be classed as sustainable investments.

The pandemic and last year's COP26 summit have catapulted environmental, social, and governance investing up the agenda, as asset managers vie for a slice of a growing market in investments designed to tackle global issues such as social inequality and climate risk.

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