2022 ESG Half Time Report

July 5, 2022 — Throughout most of this year, ESG-related investment strategies have come under heavy public scrutiny because of their association with the notion of energy transition, the reduction of fossil fuel dependency, and increased corporate climate impact reporting. Indeed, many market pundits have suggested the rise in energy prices that have resulted from current U.S. domestic energy policies and the Russian hostilities in central Europe would cause ESG-focused funds to suffer relative underperformance; but this has not been the case. While most sectors of the fixed income markets suffered negative performance outcomes, the ESG-optimized investment sector performed well compared to its conventional counterparts.