The annual ‘Insights Into Real Estate Investment Sustainability Survey (IRIS)’, conducted by climate risk company Evora Global, also found that the biggest property investors were the most advanced at incentivising ESG.

Sonny Masero, chief strategy officer at Evora, said ESG analysis and data is on the rise, and he expects the trend to continue.

Masero went on to say that ESG is a “hot topic”, and it isn’t surprising many firms and investors are “incentivising their teams” to pursue more ethical practices.

“These moves are having an impact as we are seeing more investors put their money where their mouths are and incentivise staff to do the right thing,” he said.

The survey, which examined the views of 102 investors responsible for $3.3tn (£2.6tn) of assets globally, also found that the world’s biggest investors are the most likely to be incentivising ethical practices. 

ESG performance and incentives linked to it were found in 57% of investors with more than $5bn of assets under management, compared to just 29% of investors with between $1bn and $5bn.

The report also found that investors with less than $1bn of assets were the least likely to use ESG incentives, with just 14% responding that they did so. 

“Those with the most to lose appear to be the most concerned,” added Masero. “The world’s biggest asset owners now want to understand how exposed they are to climate risks.

• Comment below on this story. Or let us know what you think by emailing us at [email protected] or tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend.