ESMA Working Paper-ESG funds during the 2020 COVID-19 market turmoil: performance and flows-ESG funds outperformed and received higher net flows than their non-ESG peers

February 24, 2024--Summary:
In this paper we analyse the performance and flows of ESG active equity UCITS funds relative to their non-ESG peers in a period of financial distress, corresponding to the first wave of COVID-19. Compared to other crisis events in the recent past, it has the advantage of looking at a complete exogenous shock affecting the economic and financial market as a whole.

An analysis of performance and flows of EU ESG funds versus EU non-ESG funds during stressed market conditions has been lacking so far. Moreover, it is a first attempt to address the heterogeneity within the cohort of active funds with some active funds significantly outperforming compared to others. The main findings confirm this hypothesis and show that ESG funds outperformed and received higher net flows than their non-ESG peers.

ESMA's activities in 2024 focused on strengthening the EU capital markets and putting citizens and businesses at the heart of it

June 16, 2025-The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU's financial markets regulator and supervisor, has published its Annual Report for 2024. The activities conducted and results achieved in 2024 support ESMA's strategic priorities and thematic drivers- to foster stable and effective markets, strengthen supervision, and enhance retail investor protection while enabling sustainable finance and facilitating technological innovation and the use of data.