By February, that number had jumped to $227 billion. As people's hunger grows for investments aligned with their own values, companies are putting a higher priority on many ESG measures ... while still keeping their eye on the bottom line. "Given the growing investor focus on positive and negative screening, improvement in performance on ESG metrics is a key target of corporates. However, most are also seeking to ensure their actions improve economic efficiency too," Barclays strategists said in a recap of their inaugural ESG EM Corporate Day. "Plans to reduce emissions are closely aligned with cost reduction gains, for example. Or, if premiums emerge for low carbon products in the future, companies are keen to invest now in order to gain revenue benefit subsequently."