The ESG risk of JPMorgan Global Bond Fund's holdings is comparable to its peers in the Global Fixed Income category, thus earning an average Morningstar Sustainability Rating of 3 globes. Funds in the same category rated 4 or 5 globes tend to hold securities less exposed to ESG risk. ESG risk provides investors with a signal that reflects to what degree their investments are exposed to risks related to material ESG issues, including climate change, biodiversity, product safety, community relations, data privacy and security, bribery and corruption, and corporate governance, that are not sufficiently managed. ESG risk differs from impact, which is about seeking positive environmental and social outcomes.
JPMorgan Global Bond Fund has an asset-weighted Carbon Risk Score of 6.1, indicating that its companies have low exposure to carbon-related risks. These are risks associated with the transition to a low-carbon economy such as increased regulation, changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and stranded assets. The fund aims to avoid or minimize holdings in companies breaching international norms, including the UN Global Compact or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
One potential issue for a sustainability-focused investor is that JPMorgan Global Bond Fund doesn’t have an ESG-focused mandate. Funds with an ESG-focused mandate would have a higher probability to drive positive ESG outcomes. By prospectus, the fund aims to avoid, or limit its exposure to, companies associated with controversial weapons, tobacco, and and thermal coal. Yet this goal is far from achieved, as the fund exhibits 1.17% exposure to thermal coal. This compares with 0.91% for its average peer in the Global Fixed Income category. The fund has relatively high exposure (10.72%) to companies with high or severe controversies. Controversies are incidents that have a negative impact on stakeholders or the environment, which create some degree of financial risk for the company. Examples of types of controversies include bribery and corruption scandals, workplace discrimination and environmental incidents. Severe and high controversies can have significant financial repercussions, ranging from legal penalties to consumer boycotts. Such controversies can also damage the reputation of both companies themselves and their shareholders.
Currently, the fund has 8.7% involvement in fossil fuels, which is roughly in line with 8.9% for its average category peer. Companies are considered involved in fossil fuels if they derive some revenue from thermal coal, oil, and gas.
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