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3D Investing: Jointly Optimizing Return, Risk, and Sustainability

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>29/04/2024
<mark>Journal</mark>Financial Analysts Journal
Issue number3
Volume80
Number of pages17
Pages (from-to)59-75
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Traditional mean-variance portfolio optimization is based on the premise that investors only care about risk and return. However, some investors also have non-financial objectives such as sustainability goals. We show how the traditional approach can readily be extended to mean-variance-sustainability optimization and explain why this 3D investing approach is ex-ante Pareto-optimal. We illustrate its efficacy empirically in several studies, including carbon footprint and sustainable development goal objectives. Importantly, we highlight conditions under which a 3D optimization approach is superior to a naïve 2D approach augmented with sustainability constraints.