As investors look to do well while also doing good, money has flowed into sustainable and impact investments. SII assets under professional management rose 25 per cent in the two years to 2016 to $23tn.

Unlike pure ethical investing, SII assets seek to deliver rates of financial return that are comparable to traditional investments, while also generating positive social and environmental outcomes. Academic research shows that this is more than a pipe dream. A 2015 review of more than 2,000 studies found that integrating sustainability measures improves, rather than harms, operating performance. Yet SII funds remain niche within total global wealth, which reached $280tn last year.

Why should that be? The answer lies in a lack of financial “plumbing”. Three crucial pieces of market infrastructure are incomplete for the sector. If we can find ways to construct and strengthen them, we can propel sustainable investing into the mainstream.