ESG assets in ETFs up 30% in 2018

Assets invested in exchange-traded funds and products around environmental, social and governance strategies grew 30% in 2018, despite a down year for equities, to $22 billion across 208 funds. During the month of January, the cohort added another $3 billion in assets while adding three new funds.

Among the managers that took in the most net new assets in January were UBS and BlackRock (BLK)'s iShares, with net inflows of $362 million and $358 million, respectively. Vanguard was the next largest asset gatherer in January with $73 million in net flows into the Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF.

Among the largest funds were UBS' MSCI EMU Socially Responsible ETF and MSCI USA Socially Responsible ETF with $743 million and $709 million in net assets, respectively. UBS' MSCI Emerging markets ETF assumed $166 million in net new assets in January, the most among its peers.