2026 Individual Investor Sustainable Investment Report
Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing releases 2026 Individual Investor Sustainable Investment Report, which aims to summarize the sustainable investment perspectives of individual investors.
This report surveys over 2000 individual investors worldwide, using the same methodology as the previous two reports.
Related Post: Morgan Stanley Releases 2025 Individual Investor Sustainable Investment Report
Individual Investor Sustainable Investment Allocation
92% of global respondents express interest in sustainable investment, an increase of 8 percentage points compared to 2025. 75% of investors hold a certain proportion of sustainable assets, but the average allocation ratio has decreased from 33% last year to 31%, indicating a discrepancy between investors’ willingness and actual allocation behavior. Half of the investors had already started allocating sustainable assets five years ago, with less than 10% starting within two years. More than 80% of investors consider financial returns as the main reason for focusing on sustainable investment, 45% hope to generate positive sustainable impact while obtaining market returns, and 40% believe that sustainable investment may provide higher returns than traditional investment. Investors’ allocation plans for future sustainable investments include:
- Increase configuration (64%): Respondents believe that sustainable investment can provide higher returns (29%), increase understanding of sustainable investment (20%), and increase demand for sustainable investment (16%).
- Maintain configuration (28%): Respondents believe that sustainable investment can promote portfolio diversification (26%).
- Reduce configuration (5%): Respondents believe that sustainable investment returns are lower than expected (23%), and limited data quality or standards lead to a decrease in investment confidence (18%).
Individual Investor Sustainable Investment Themes
The report shows that sustainable investment themes for individual investors include:
- General sustainable development (34%): Broad environmental and social goals.
- Economic empowerment (31%): Inclusive finance, education, and housing.
- Health (30%): Nutrition, product safety.
- Climate Action (26%): Addressing climate change, transitioning to a low carbon economy.
- Circular economy (25%): Improve resource efficiency and reduce waste.
- Biodiversity (23%): Protect terrestrial and marine systems, sustainable agriculture.
Investors’ interest in sustainable investment in the private equity market is increasing, with 40% of investors currently holding sustainable assets in the private equity market (such as private equity, private credit, venture capital, and physical assets), and 34% planning to begin allocating in the future. Among investors whose sustainable investment accounts for over 30% of total investment, 55% hold sustainable investments in the private equity market. Two thirds of investors believe that the private market can provide more sustainable investment opportunities than the public market.
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