It was great to see the announcement in 2016 of Morningstar adding a Globe rating to their fund analysis on the sustainability level of funds under management, especially as Morningstar’s 5 star rating has long been the first stop for anyone interested in whether a fund is a good choice for one’s own investment choices.
However, this Globe rating remains a work in progress, a serious disconnect appears to be in place as I think you’ll soon agree.
Take the 5 Star Parnassus Endeavor Fund for example. At Brown University, we partnered with this fund for our new Brown University Sustainable Investment Fund after both the Investment Office and our students came to the same conclusion – this fund was the best performer over the past 10 years that uses ESG data as primary criteria.