A more inclusive capitalism

Inclusive capitalism. This is the buzzword currently generating widespread debates, particularly across the Anglo-Saxon world. For its backers inclusive capitalism represents the embodiment of a new path of the world economy that will render us all better off. For its detractors, it merely symbolises a new attempt to galvanise a global economy trapped in a widespread crisis. Ultimately, for its most radical critics, inclusive capitalism incarnates the attempt to further repress popular uprisings. Nonetheless, beyond debates, researches flourish. The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a non-profit organisation working to design strategies for responsible investments, has recently financed a research project of the Judge Business School of Cambridge: Inclusive capitalism: the impact of global shareholder engagements.

The research project is aimed at analysing a period of two decades of economic decision-making, combining data covering 68 countries and more than 5,000 companies. The results are expected to be published in 2017. The team, led by Professor Elroy Dimson, head of the Newton Centre for Endowment Asset Management, has been granted access to the PRI’s databases on corporate engagement: an enormous source considering that since last November roughly 1,600 signatories, representing $ 62 trillion assets under management, have signed up to the PRI’s Principles. PRI itself has decided to further support the research project allocating £ 10.000 towards the study.