SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ESG Fund

State Street Global Advisors will list a new environmental, social and governance (ESG) ETF on the ASX - the SPDR S&P/ASX 200 ESG Fund (ASX: E200).

The ETF will track the S&P/ ASX 200 ESG Index, a broad-based, market-cap-weighted index designed to measure the performance of securities meeting sustainability criteria with a similar risk/return profile to the S&P/ ASX 200 index. The index incorporates both exclusionary screening of companies in problematic industries such as tobacco and also best-in-class screening to find those companies with high ESG scores.

"Today, high profile issues such as climate change, diversity, executive remuneration and corporate culture mean more investors are looking to align their investment strategies with their values," head of SPDR ETF Asia Pacific Distribution, Meaghan Victor, said.

Management costs are 0.13 per cent per annum and the fund is expected to launch on 5 August 2020.