What are Australia’s ethical ETFs?

If you're looking to align your values and your invests, an ethical ethical exchange traded funds (ETFs) is a good place to start.

Australia has more than a dozen ethical-themed (ETFs) listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Each of these follow their own set of ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria. While some focus on sustainable practices, others prioritise social impact such as weapons, tobacco or gambling.

This guide explains how 10 popular ESG funds work, how they've performed and what their fees are. If you're looking to invest directly in stocks, check out some of the companies on our renewable energy stocks page.

Share Trading Account Offer

eToro (global stocks)

USD 0

Standard brokerage - US shares

Share Trading Account Offer

Get $0 brokerage on US, Hong Kong and European stocks with trades as little as $50 when you join the world's biggest social trading network.

• $0 brokerage for US, Hong Kong and European stocks
• Trades starting from $50
• Fractional shares
• Copy top traders

Go to site

More info

Important: Share trading carries risk of capital loss.

Disclaimer: Trading CFDs and forex on leverage is high-risk and losses could exceed your deposits.

ASX Ethical ETFs

How do ethical ETFs work work in Australia?

Ethical ETFs are investment funds that track companies based on ESG criteria.

Crucially, there are no hard rules around which companies should be added or excluded or what ethical criteria to follow. For example, most ethical funds screen companies that directly engage in the production of fossil fuels. However, as of 2019 there are around half a dozen listed funds in Australia that ignore this factor (Update: These funds have since delisted from the ASX).

How much exposure a company should be allowed to have to fossil fuels is also up for debate. Some funds such as FAIR and IMPQ exclude Australia's major banks because they finance the oil and mining sector, but most ethical funds do not.

Below is a description of the strategies taken by each of the ESG-focused ETFs listed above along with their top stock holdings to help you decide which is right for you, in no particular order.

How to choose a sustainable ETF?

1. BetaShares Global Sustainability Leaders ETF (ETHI).

Holds global company stocks that it identifies as "climate leaders" based on their low carbon footprint. It excludes companies with significant exposure to the fossil fuel industry and screens for those engaged with gambling, tobacco, weaponry, nuclear energy, animal cruelty, pornography, environmental destruction and human rights concerns.

Top holdings: Visa, Home Depot, Apple, Mastercard and Toyota Motor Corp

Green ETF of the Year 2022: BetaShares Global Sustainability ETF

The Finder Green Awards identify the companies leading the way on sustainability in the sectors that we compare. The BetaShares Global Sustainability ETF (ETHI) won the ETF category through a proactive approach to identifying sustainable investments as well as offering strong financial returns in the judging period.

Compared to some funds that only screen out companies that are bad for the environment, this BetaShare's ETF looks for companies that are "climate leaders" who have passed screens to exclude businesses with direct or significant exposure to fossil fuels or engaged in activities deemed inconsistent with responsible investing.

Finalists in this category was eInvest Better Future Fund.

2. eInvest Better Future Fund (IMPQ)

An actively managed fund that invests in small Australian and New Zealand companies (less than $50 million cap) that are contributing positively to the environment and society, such as renewable energy and health foods. It filters out any companies engaged with fossil fuels, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, de-foresting, gambling and unhealthy fast food.

This fund also won our Green ETF of the Year award at this year's Finder Green Awards so it's a great option if climate change is a major concern for you.

Top holdings: Cash, Spark New Zealand Ltd, Charter Hall Social Infrastructure REIT, Integral Diagnostics, Iress Ltd.

3. BetaShares Australian Sustainability Leaders ETF (FAIR)

A diverse portfolio of Australian companies involved in sustainable business activities. Exclusions include companies exposed to fossil fuels, tobacco, alcohol, junk foods, gambling, weaponry, nuclear energy, animal cruelty, environmental destruction, pornography, recent significant fines or convictions, human rights concerns and lack of gender diversity at the board level.

Top holdings: Telstra, CSL, Sonic Healthcare, Brambles, Goodmans

4. VanEck Vectors MSCI Australian Sustainable Equity ETF (GRNV)

A broad mix of large Australian companies excluding any that own fossil fuel reserves or are engaged in the mining of coal, oil and gas (although it includes mineral miners such as gold). It prioritises those with high environmental, social and corporate governance ratings in line with global research agency MSCI ESG Research.

Top holdings: CSL, Commonwealth Bank, Transurban Group, Telstra, ANZ

5. InvestSMART Ethical Share Fund Managed Fund (INES)

An actively managed fund that screens companies based on a list of problematic industries including non-renewables such as nuclear, coal and oil, as well as gambling, alcohol, tobacco, pornography, junk food, weapons and payday lending. It primarily invests in Australian companies and cash.

Top holdings: (Must request)

6. Russell Investments Australian Responsible Investment ETF (RARI)

Primarily weighted towards dividend-paying companies that show positive environmental, social and governance (ESG) characteristics. It says it also excludes companies that manufacture or distribute alcohol, tobacco, gambling, weapons and pornography. Companies with direct exposure to fossil fuel production may also be removed. The Fund invests in Australian shares and trusts.

Top holdings: Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB, ANZ, CSL

7. Vaneck Vectors MSCI International Sustainable Equity ETF (ESGI)

A diversified portfolio of sustainable international companies from developed markets, excluding Australia. It excludes companies that own fossil fuel reserves or earn revenue from oil and gas activities.

Top holdings: Microsoft, Home Depot, Salesforce, ASML, Allianze

8. Vanguard Ethically Conscious International Shares Index ETF (VESG)

Holds stocks in some of the world’s biggest companies listed in major developed markets. Stocks are diversified across a range of sectors but it excludes those with significant exposure to fossil fuels, alcohol, gambling, tobacco, weaponry, nuclear power and pornography.

Top holdings: Apple, Microsoft Corp, Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook

9. BetaShares Sustainability leaders Diversified Bond ETF (GBND)

A diversified portfolio of global and Australian bonds, including a significant portion of green bonds which are used to fund environmental projects. Company bonds are screened to avoid the fossil fuel industry.

Top holdings: French Republic Government, Kingdom of Belgium, Netherlands Government, Ireland Government, New South Wales Treasury

10. Vanguard Ethically Conscious Global Aggregate Bond Index ETF (VEFI)

Bonds issued by global governments and investment grade companies. It excludes companies with significant exposure to fossil fuels, tobacco, gambling, alcohol, weapons, nuclear power and pornography.

Top holdings: United States Treasury, Japan, France, Italy, Federal National Mortgage Association

Compare online platforms to buy ETFs

Sort by:

Name	Product	Brokerage on AU ETFs	Inactivity fee	Markets
eToro (global stocks)		N/A	US$10 per month if there’s been no login for 12 months	Global shares, US shares, ETFs	Zero brokerage share trading on US, Hong Kong and European stocks with trades as low as $50. Note: This broker offers CFDs which are volatile investment products and most clients lose money trading CFDs with this provider. Join the world’s biggest social trading network when you trade stocks, commodities and currencies from the one account.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
ThinkMarkets Share Trading Exclusive		$8	No	ASX shares	Exclusive: Sign up through Finder and get 3 months of free trading up to 50 trades. Offer available to new customers only. Following your first three months, enjoy $8 flat fee CHESS sponsored brokerage as well as free live stock data all from the convenience of an easy-to-use mobile app	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
IG Share Trading Exclusive		$5 – 8	No	ASX shares, US shares, UK shares, ETFs, and more	Exclusive: Finder customers who apply for a share trading account in June will be able to trade Aussie shares from $2.50 commission until the end of August. T&Cs apply. Enjoy some of the lowest brokerage fees on the market when trading Australian shares, international shares, plus get access to 24-hour customer support.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Tiger Brokers Exclusive		$6.49	No	ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, US shares, ETFs	Exclusive to Finder: Sign up to Tiger through Finder and on completion of your first deposit of any amount or transfer of shares receive 4 extra free grab shares. T&Cs apply. Get started with $0 brokerage on ASX and US stocks for the first 3 months upon completion of your first qualifying deposit. Also receive a free Apple share if you deposit $3,000 or more.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
SelfWealth (Basic account)		$9.5	No	ASX shares, US shares	Trade ASX and US shares for a flat fee of $9.50, regardless of the trade size. New customers receive free access to Community Insights with SelfWealth Premium for the first 90 days. Follow other investors and benchmark your portfolio performance.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
CMC Markets Invest		$0	No	ASX shares, Global shares, mFunds, ETFs	$0 brokerage on global shares including US, UK and Japan markets. Trade up to 35,000 products, including shares, ETFs and managed funds, plus access up to 15 major global and Australian stock exchanges. Plus, buy Aussie shares for $0 brokerage up to $1,000. (Limited to one buy order per stock per trading day).	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bendigo Invest Direct		$19.95	No	ASX shares, Global shares, Options trading, mFunds, ETFs, Warrants	Gain access to 12 markets from one account with Bendigo. Invest in Australian shares and access major international markets through a trusted local brand. Plus, fine tune your investment knowledge with Bendigo’s advanced research and analysis tools.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
GO Markets Share Trading		$7.70	No	ASX shares, Forex, CFDs, ETFs	Zero Brokerage on your next 50 trades! Simply transfer an existing HIN before 30 June and pay no fees on your next 50 transactions. Alternatively, transfer your existing shares and receive 5 transactions at zero cost for each shareholding transferred, once again up to 50 free trades. T & Cs apply	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Saxo Capital Markets (Classic account)		$5	No	ASX shares, Global shares, ETFs	Access 6,400 ETFs over 30 exchanges worldwide Low fees for Australian and global ETF investing, no inactivity fees and foreign currency accounts available.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Bell Direct Share Trading		$15	No	ASX shares, mFunds, ETFs	Get $300 free brokerage until 30 June when you move to Bell Direct. T&Cs apply. Bell Direct offers a one-second placement guarantee on market-to-limit ASX orders or your trade is free, plus enjoy extensive free research reports from top financial experts.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Superhero share trading		$0	No	ASX shares, US shares, ETFs	Sign up & fund your account with A$100 or more and receive US$10 of Tesla stocks on Superhero. T&Cs apply. Enjoy $0 brokerage on US stocks and buying ETFs as well as a flat $5 fee to trade Australian shares.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

loading

Compare up to 4 providers

Clear selection

Compare

Important: Share trading can be financially risky and the value of your investment can go down as well as up. Standard brokerage is the cost to purchase $1,000 or less of equities without any qualifications or special eligibility. Where both CHESS sponsored and custodian shares are offered, we display the cheapest option.