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ESGI

$32.52-0.12%Ethical / ESG29/100
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VanEck MSCI Intl Sustainable Equity ETF · VanEck

Data as at 29 March 2026

TL;DR

Tracks global developed market companies that score highly on MSCI's ESG criteria, excluding Australian companies. Designed to complement FAIR or VESG in a diversified ESG portfolio.

MER (Annual Fee)
0.59%
#4 lowest in Ethical / ESG
1Y Return
-5.2%
3Y Return (p.a.)
+9.3%
Dividend Yield
6.86%
Trailing 12 months
AUM
$226.8M
Assets under management
Avg Daily Turnover
$218K
Avg shares × unit price
Unit Price
$32.52
As at 29 March 2026
Provider
VanEck
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Strategy

Follows the MSCI World ex-Australia ESG Leaders Index, selecting companies in the top 50% of their industry for MSCI ESG scores. Managed by BetaShares.

Top Holdings

Key Fact

ESGI uses a best-in-class ESG approach — selecting the top-scoring 50% within each industry. This differs from ETHI which excludes entire industries. A company in the oil sector can appear in ESGI if it scores highest on ESG metrics within that industry group.

Suited for

Investors who want international ESG exposure specifically, paired with a separate Australian ESG fund like FAIR for domestic equities.

Risks

MSCI ESG Leaders screens select the top 50% of ESG scorers within each industry — meaning even sectors like energy and defence have some representation if specific companies score well enough on MSCI's methodology.

ETFCheck Score29/100
Fees (40%)12
Fund Size (25%)24
Liquidity (20%)14
Yield (15%)100
How scores are calculated →
Other Ethical / ESG ETFs
ETHI
0.39% MER
52
VESG
0.18% MER
50
FAIR
0.49% MER
38
ERTH
0.65% MER
4View all Ethical / ESG ETFs →

Frequently Asked Questions - ESGI

How does ESGI's best-in-class approach differ from the exclusion method used by ETHI and VESG?+
Rather than simply excluding entire industries, ESGI selects the highest-rated ESG companies within each sector using MSCI ESG research. This means it can hold energy or materials companies if they are sustainability leaders relative to peers, maintaining natural sector diversification. The approach avoids the tech-heavy tilt common in exclusion-based funds like ETHI, providing more balanced exposure across all sectors while still scoring well on ESG metrics.
Why is ESGI's MER of 0.59% justified compared to cheaper ethical ETFs?+
ESGI's higher 0.59% MER reflects VanEck's active ESG selection process using MSCI's best-in-class methodology, which requires ongoing ESG scoring and sector-relative ranking rather than simple negative screening. With a 16.8% one-year return and 1.35% yield, it delivers competitive risk-adjusted performance. However, cost-conscious Australian investors should compare this against VESG's 0.18% MER, which delivered slightly higher returns over the same period with lighter screening.
Does ESGI's sector-balanced approach reduce concentration risk for SMSF portfolios?+
Yes, ESGI's best-in-class methodology maintains representation across all GICS sectors by selecting ESG leaders within each industry rather than eliminating entire sectors. This creates a more diversified portfolio compared to exclusion-based funds like ETHI, which become heavily overweight technology and healthcare. For SMSF trustees seeking international ethical exposure without taking unintended sector bets, ESGI provides a more benchmark-aware allocation that reduces tracking error against standard global indices.
How does ESGI handle controversial sectors that pure exclusion funds simply remove?+
ESGI applies MSCI's ESG ratings to identify the top sustainability performers within traditionally controversial sectors like energy and mining, rather than excluding them entirely. Companies must meet minimum ESG thresholds, and the worst performers are still removed. This means ESGI may hold an oil major with strong transition plans while excluding its lower-rated peers. Australian investors should review holdings carefully if they want absolute avoidance of fossil fuel exposure rather than relative best-in-class selection.