RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Performance and Risk Analysis of Index-Based ESG Portfolios JF The Journal of Index Investing FD Institutional Investor Journals SP 46 OP 57 DO 10.3905/jii.2019.9.4.046 VO 9 IS 4 A1 Guido Giese A1 Linda-Eling Lee A1 Dimitris Melas A1 Zoltán Nagy A1 Laura Nishikawa YR 2019 UL https://pm-research.com/content/9/4/46.abstract AB There has been a wide range of research in academia and the asset management industry about the financial benefits of ESG investing. However, the question of how to achieve consistency when integrating ESG has not obtained the same level of attention. As a result, ESG integration currently is often applied inconsistently and incompletely across asset owners’ portfolios. The authors of this article focus on how asset owners can implement ESG integration through index-based allocations to portfolios that seek to replicate ESG indexes. Index-based approaches offer consistency, transparency, and replicability and are generally cost-effective. Over a seven-year study period, global and regional versions of the MSCI ESG Leaders Indexes (as proxies for regional allocations) resulted in significant variations in their respective ESG profiles and performance, but in all instances, there was a clear reduction in all key risk measures.TOPICS: ESG investing, performance measurement, exchange-traded funds and applications, risk management