
ESG is on the upswing like no other investment trend. In the first half of 2021, of 80 ETF and mutual fund launches in the UK, 37 were ESG vehicles. Of these, 19 were equity funds, 16 mixed assets, and one each for bond and alternatives (chart 1). Bonds showed rather better last year, with 12 launches, but whatever the year, equity launches dominate. Chart 1: ESG Fund Launches by Asset Class and Provider, 2021, Year to Date Source: Refinitiv Lipper This compares to 207 launches in 2020, of which 59 where ESG, up from just 17 ESG