Glossary/Sustainable investing

Best-in-Class Investing

Also known as Positive screening

Best-in-class investing favors issuers with stronger sustainability characteristics than sector or peer-group competitors rather than excluding entire industries.

Editorially reviewed 2026-07-30

Why best-in-class investing matters

It can preserve sector diversification and reward relative leaders, but still owns high-impact sectors and depends heavily on score methodology.

How it is applied

Investors define peer groups, material factors, weights, minimum standards, data, controversies, and rebalance rules.

Portfolio example

A portfolio selects the highest-rated mining companies while retaining mining exposure.

How to interpret it

Best in class means relative leadership, not absolute sustainability or low investment risk.

Limitations and common misconceptions

Peer definitions, provider scores, data estimates, and rapid score changes can alter selection.

Sources and further reading