Womens Wealth

Does ESG investing produce better returns?

It is one of the questions we hear most often.

And I would be cautious of anyone who answers it with a simple yes or no.

An ESG investment can perform well.

It can also underperform.

Performance can depend on the fund itself, the sectors it invests in or excludes, how concentrated it is, the market environment and what you are paying in charges.

For example, excluding a particular sector may help performance during one period and work against you during another.

A specialist sustainable fund may also behave very differently from a broadly diversified global fund.

So for me, the more useful question is not:
“Is ESG better?”

It is:
“Does this investment make sense for my goals, time frame, attitude to risk and wider financial plan?”

That is one of the areas we will be exploring in our next Finance on Friday session.

ESG Investing: Can your money reflect your values without falling for the hype?
Friday 25 September
12:00 PM BST
30 minutes

We will look at ESG in plain English, greenwashing, risk and returns, and the questions worth asking about investments you already hold.

Register here: https://www.womenswealthnetwork.co.uk/live-webinar/finance-on-friday-live/register?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=esg_webinar_sep_2026&utm_content=post_04_returns

Greenwashing happens when something is presented as more sustainable or responsible than the evidence supports.

In investing, that might look like:
a fund name that sounds sustainable, but gives very little detail
lots of green branding or nature imagery
no clear explanation of what the fund includes or excludes
claims that sound impressive but are hard to measure
a focus on one positive feature while bigger concerns stay unclear

That does not mean every ESG or sustainable fund is misleading.
It means the label alone is not enough.

A useful test is this:

Can you clearly understand what the fund does, what it avoids and how it measures its sustainability claims?

If the answer is not clear, it may be worth looking more closely.

We’ll be unpacking greenwashing, ESG labels, risk, returns and what to check in your own pensions or investments in our 30-minute Finance on Friday webinar.

ESG Investing: Can your money reflect your values without falling for the hype?

Friday 25 September, 12:00 PM BST
Register here: https://www.womenswealthnetwork.co.uk/live-webinar/finance-on-friday-live/register?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=esg_webinar_sep_2026&utm_content=post_03_greenwashing

Words such as ESG, ethical, responsible and sustainable can sound reassuring.

But they do not all mean the same thing.

Two funds can use very similar language and still invest in different companies, apply different exclusions and take very different approaches to environmental or social issues.

- One fund might avoid certain industries altogether.
- Another might invest in companies it believes are improving.
- Another may use ESG information mainly to assess investment risk.
- None of that is obvious from the fund name alone.

Before deciding whether an investment reflects your values, it is worth looking at what it actually holds, what it excludes, what it costs and how its approach is defined.

The label is only the starting point. The detail matters.

We explore what ESG investing really means, and what to look for beyond the marketing, in our latest blog.

Read the blog: https://womens-wealth.co.uk/sustainable-investing-what-you-need-to-know/

It can feel sensible when everything looks uncertain.

But the perfect moment to invest is usually only obvious afterwards.

When the headlines are loud, many people wait.

They wait for markets to settle.
They wait for interest rates to change.
They wait until things feel clearer.

That hesitation is understandable.

But long-term investing is not about knowing exactly what markets will do next.

It is about having a plan that fits your goals, your time frame and your attitude to risk.

A plan you understand.
A plan you can review.
A plan that does not depend on perfect timing.

We explore this in our latest blog on long-term investing during market uncertainty.

Read the blog here: https://womens-wealth.co.uk/long-term-investing-market-uncertainty/

Trying to time the market?
It can feel sensible when everything looks uncertain.

But the perfect moment to invest is usually only obvious afterwards.

When the headlines are loud, many people wait.

They wait for markets to settle.
They wait for interest rates to change.
They wait until things feel clearer.

That hesitation is understandable.

But long-term investing is not about knowing exactly what markets will do next.

It is about having a plan that fits your goals, your time frame and your attitude to risk.

A plan you understand.
A plan you can review.
A plan that does not depend on perfect timing.

We explore this in our latest blog on long-term investing during market uncertainty.

Read the blog here:
https://womens-wealth.co.uk/long-term-investing-market-uncertainty/

When markets feel uncertain, it is completely understandable to hold back.

You might think:

“I’ll wait until things calm down.”
“I’ll invest when the timing feels better.”
“I just don’t want to get it wrong.”

That hesitation is normal.

But if your money stays in cash for longer than you planned, it may not be working as hard as it could for your future.

Long-term investing is not about rushing.

It is about understanding your options, your goals, and what level of risk feels right for you.

We explore this in our latest blog on long-term investing during market uncertainty.

Read the blog here:
https://womens-wealth.co.uk/long-term-investing-market-uncertainty/

Worried about investing right now?
Waiting until things settle down can feel like the sensible option.

With interest rates, inflation, elections, global conflict and constant headlines, it is completely understandable to feel unsure.

Many women hesitate because they do not want to get it wrong.

But long-term investing rarely happens in perfect conditions.

There is almost always a reason to wait.

The question is not, “Is now the perfect time?”

It is, “Do I have a plan that makes sense for my goals, time frame and attitude to risk?”

That is what we explore in our latest blog on long-term investing during market uncertainty.

Read the blog here:
https://womens-wealth.co.uk/long-term-investing-market-uncertainty/

This is one of those “I should probably check that” money jobs.

You might have benefits through work. You might have some cover in place. You might even feel fairly sure it would all be fine.

But do you actually know what you’d get, how long it would last, and whether it would be enough?

If illness, injury or something unexpected stopped you working, would your income still cover the things that matter?

Your mortgage.
Your family.
Your pension contributions.
Your future plans.

In this free 30-minute webinar, we’ll talk through financial protection in plain English, including income protection, life insurance and critical illness cover.

No jargon. No scare tactics. Just a useful check-in on the bit of your financial plan that’s very easy to leave for another day.

Friday 26 June | 12 noon | Online
Free 30-minute webinar

Book your place: https://www.womenswealthnetwork.co.uk/live-webinar/finance-on-friday-live/register