This fund lands in the 10% of strategies with the lowest ESG risk in the US Fixed Income category, earning it the highest Morningstar Sustainability Rating of 5 globes. ESG risk provides investors with a signal that reflects to what degree their investments are exposed to risks related to material ESG issues, including climate change, biodiversity, product safety, community relations, data privacy and security, bribery and corruption, and corporate governance, that are not sufficiently managed. ESG risk differs from impact, which is about seeking positive environmental and social outcomes.
PIMCO Total Return ESG Fund holds itself out to be a sustainable or ESG-focused investment. In other words, ESG concerns are central to the investment process of this strategy. A fund with an ESG-focused mandate would have a higher probability to drive positive ESG outcomes. PIMCO Total Return ESG Fund has an asset-weighted Carbon Risk Score of 3.4, indicating that its companies have low exposure to carbon-related risks. These are risks associated with the transition to a low-carbon economy such as increased regulation, changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and stranded assets. Pimco Total Return Esg Fund shows 8.9% involvement in carbon solutions. This percentage surpasses the 4.3% average involvement of its peers in the Intermediate Core-plus Bond category. Carbon solutions include products and services related to renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, green transportation, and so on.
By prospectus, the fund aims to avoid, or limit its exposure to, companies associated with controversial weapons, tobacco, and and thermal coal. Yet this goal is far from achieved, as the fund exhibits 0.34% and 3.27% exposure to controversial weapons and thermal coal, respectively. This compares with 0.73% and 1.71% for its average peer in the US Fixed Income category.
Currently, the fund has 7.4% involvement in fossil fuels, which is roughly in line with 7.4% for its average category peer. Companies are considered involved in fossil fuels if they derive some revenue from thermal coal, oil, and gas. The fund has a modest level of exposure (2.25%) to companies with high or severe controversies. Companies with controversies are involved in incidents such as corruption, employee abuses, and that pose some degree of business risks to the company. Severe and high controversies can have significant financial repercussions, ranging from legal penalties to consumer boycotts. In addition, they controversies can damage the reputation of both companies themselves and their shareholders.