JPMorgan International Equity Fund may not appeal to sustainability-conscious investors.
This strategy has an above-average Morningstar Sustainability Rating of 4 globes, indicating that the ESG risk of holdings in its portfolio is relatively low compared with those of its peers in the Global Equity Large Cap category. ESG risk provides investors with a signal that reflects to what degree their investments are exposed to risks related to material ESG issues, such as climate change and inequalities, that are not sufficiently managed. ESG risk differs from impact, which is about seeking positive environmental and social outcomes.
JPMorgan International Equity Fund has a Carbon Risk Score of 8.20, indicating portfolio companies face low carbon-related risks in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
One potential issue for a sustainability-focused investor is that JPMorgan International Equity Fund doesn’t have an ESG-focused mandate. A fund with an ESG-focused mandate would have a higher probability to drive positive ESG outcomes. Currently, the fund has 12.33% involvement in fossil fuels, which is higher than 10.50% for the average peer in its category. Companies are considered involved in fossil fuels if they derive some revenue from thermal coal, oil, and gas.
The fund has a modest level of exposure (6.22%) to companies with high or severe controversies. Companies with high or severe controversies are involved in incidents such as corruption, employee abuses, environmental incidents, and corporate scandals that pose serious business risks to the company.