The chapter argues that socially responsible investment (SRI) can be linked to long-term financial success and therefore should be part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy of investors. It shows how capital providers, including ordinary shareholders, institutional investors and socially responsible investors, can provide the stimulus for improvements in CSR standards and performance. The chapter traces the origins of SRI and investigates the range of powers and responsibilities, procedures and opportunities that can be applied to encourage a greater degree of participation of different kinds of investor, particularly institutional investors, in SRI.

This is the first book to provide a comparative and critical analysis of why and how corporate governance and corporate law have been or can be used to promote and protect sustainability in the four common law jurisdictions in Asia, ie Singapore, Hong Kong, India and Malaysia. Based on theoretical, doctrinal and empirical research, I critically evaluate the rationales for, and effectiveness of, six corporate mechanisms, namely (1) sustainability reporting; (2) gender diversity on the board of directors; (3) constituency directors; (4) stewardship codes; (5) directors’ duty to act in the best interests of the company; and (6) liability on companies, shareholders and directors.