Celebrate Earth Day with Sustainable Investing

The importance of ESG, or Environmental, Social and Governmental, initiatives has grown rapidly within the past few years – especially in the finance industry. As Ed Tilly, Chairman, President and CEO, wrote recently, everyone has a role to play in sustainability. At Cboe, we are guided by our commitment to being better global citizens as we regularly seek new ways to reduce our environmental impact and give back to our local communities. We know we are part of a worldwide effort by companies and individuals who are searching for sustainable solutions in every aspect of their life, including investing.

Barron’s reported in February that assets in U.S.-based ESG Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) increased 12 percent last year, to $9 billion. Globally, that number now exceeds $58 billion. Find a list of Cboe Listed ESG-focused ETPs below, ranging from funds comprised of companies in the clean energy sector to those with a significant number of women in leadership.

Cboe Listed ESG ETPs

ALPS Clean Energy ETF | Ticker: ACES   

The ALPS Clean Energy ETF seeks investment results that correspond generally to the performance of its underlying index, the CIBC Atlantic Trust Clean Energy Index. The Underlying Index utilizes a rules-based methodology developed by Atlantic Trust Company, National Association (the Index Provider), which is designed to provide exposure to a diverse set of U.S. and Canadian companies involved in the clean energy sector including renewables and clean technology. The clean energy sector is comprised of companies that provide the products and services that enable the evolution of a more sustainable energy sector.

FlexShares STOXX US ESG Impact Index Fund | Ticker: ESG    

The FlexShares STOXX US ESG Impact Index Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the STOXX USA ESG Impact Index.

FlexShares STOXX Global ESG Impact Index Fund | Ticker: ESGG  

The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the STOXX Global ESG Impact Index.

Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF | Ticker: FRDM  

The Freedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF seeks to track the total return performance of the Life + Liberty Freedom 100 Emerging Markets Index, a freedom-weighted diversified emerging markets equity strategy. The strategy uses human and economic freedom metrics as primary factors in the investment selection process.

 iPath Return On Disability ETN | Ticker: RODI   

The iPath Return on Disability Exchange Traded Notes are linked to the performance of the Return on Disability US LargeCap ETN Total Return USD Index. The Index uses a quantitative ranking methodology to measure a company's publicly observable activities relating to people with disabilities across three key areas: talent, customer and productivity. This ranking methodology focuses on elements that have the potential to increase shareholder value in a company, such as using best practices for attracting and hiring candidates with disabilities, focusing on 'ease of use' features in products and services, and implementing productivity-focused process improvements driven by people with disabilities.

iPath Women in Leadership ETN | Ticker: WIL    

The iPath Women in Leadership Exchange Traded Notes are linked to the performance of the Barclays Women in Leadership Total Return USD Index. The Index is designed to provide exposure to U.S.-based companies that satisfy one or both of the gender diversity criteria of having a female chief executive officer or having at least 25% female members on the board of directors. 

iShares ESG MSCI USA Small-Cap ETF | Ticker: ESML  

The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI USA Small Cap Extended ESG Focus Index.

Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF | Ticker: NUDM

The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG USA Large-Cap Growth Index.  The Index is comprised of equity securities issued by large capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges that meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. The Index selects from the securities included in the MSCI USA Growth Index (the Base Index), which generally consists of large-and mid-capitalization U.S. equity securities that exhibit overall growth style characteristics based on five variables: long-term forward earnings per share (EPS) growth rate, short-term forward EPS growth rate, current internal growth rate, long-term historical EPS growth trend, and long-term historical sales per share growth trend.

Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF | Ticker: NUEM 

The Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG Emerging Markets Equity Index.  The Index is comprised solely of listed equity securities issued by companies (and depositary receipts representing such securities) located in countries with emerging markets that meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF | Ticker: NULG  

The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG USA Large-Cap Growth Index.  The Index is comprised of equity securities issued by large capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges that meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF | Ticker: NULV  

The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG USA Large-Cap Value Index.  The Index is comprised of equity securities issued by large capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges that meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF | Ticker: NUMG

The Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG USA Mid-Cap Growth Index.  The Index is comprised of equity securities issued by mid-capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges that meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Value ETF | Ticker: NUMV

The Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Value ETF seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG USA Mid-Cap Value Index.  The Index is comprised of equity securities issued by mid-capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges that meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF | Ticker: NUSC  

The Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG USA Small-Cap Index.  The Index is comprised of equity securities issued by small-capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges that meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

Nuveen ESG Large-Cap ETF | Ticker: NULC  

The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap ETF seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG USA Large-Cap Index.  The Fund seeks to track the investment results of the Index, which is comprised of equity securities issued by large capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges that meet certain environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. The Index selects from the securities included in the MSCI USA Index (the Base Index), which generally consists of large-and mid-capitalization U.S. equity securities that exhibit overall growth style characteristics based on five variables: long-term forward earnings per share (EPS) growth rate, short-term forward EPS growth rate, current internal growth rate, long-term historical EPS growth trend, and long-term historical sales per share growth trend.

Tortoise Global Water ESG Fund | Ticker: TBLU   

The Tortoise Water Fund seeks investment results that correspond (before fees and expenses) generally to the price and distribution rate (total return) performance of the Tortoise Water IndexSM.

Vanguard ESG International Stock ETF | Ticker: VSGX  

The Vanguard ESG International Stock ETF employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the FTSE Global All Cap ex US Choice Index. The Index, which is market-capitalization weighted, is composed of large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks of companies in developed and emerging markets, excluding the United States, and is screened for certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria by the Index sponsor, which is independent of Vanguard. Specifically, the Index excludes stocks of companies in the following industries: adult entertainment, alcohol and tobacco, weapons, fossil fuels, gambling, and nuclear power. The index methodology also excludes the stocks of companies that do not meet the labor, human rights, environmental, and anti-corruption standards as defined by the United Nations Global Compact Principles, as well as companies that do not meet certain diversity criteria.

Vanguard ESG US Stock ETF | Ticker: ESGV  

The Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the FTSE US All Cap Choice Index. The Index, which is market-capitalization weighted, is composed of large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks of companies located in the United States and is screened for certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria by the Index sponsor, which is independent of Vanguard. Specifically, the Index excludes stocks of companies in the following industries: adult entertainment, alcohol and tobacco, weapons, fossil fuels, gambling, and nuclear power. The index methodology also excludes the stocks of companies that do not meet the labor, human rights, environmental, and anti-corruption standards as defined by the United Nations Global Compact Principles, as well as companies that do not meet certain diversity criteria.

WisdomTree International ESG Fund | Ticker: RESD   

The WisdomTree International ESG Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by integrating factor-based investing with developed market (ex U.S. and Canada) companies who screen favorably on environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

WisdomTree Emerging Markets ESG Fund | Ticker: RESE   

The WisdomTree Emerging Markets ESG Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by integrating factor-based investing with emerging market companies who screen favorably on environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.

Learn more about Cboe Listed ETPs at CboeListings.com and check out Cboe's Environmental, Social and Governance Report to learn more about Cboe's ESG initiatives.