What's Actually Inside ESG Funds? (Independent Analysis)
We checked the top holdings of popular ESG funds against independent data. The labels don't always match the evidence.
Research archive
Explore the research.
Investigations, comparisons and ownership guides, with links to the evidence.
184 articles
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FCA Anti-Greenwashing Rule: What Advisors Need to Know
The FCA now requires sustainability claims to be fair, clear, and not misleading. Here's what that means for investment recommendations.
How to Verify ESG Claims With Independent Evidence
A practical consumer guide to checking ESG and sustainability claims against court records, regulators, company filings and other independent evidence.
Why ESG Ratings Disagree — and What Independent Data Shows
ESG rating providers give the same company wildly different scores. We looked at what court filings and regulators say instead.
How to Research Whether Your Portfolio Is Ethical
An ethical-sounding fund name is not an answer. To understand a portfolio, you need to inspect its actual holdings, decide which issues matter to you and read the evidence behind each company's record.
Coca-Cola vs PepsiCo: A Current Ethics Evidence Comparison
Is PepsiCo more ethical than Coca-Cola? Compare ten scored dimensions, worker treatment, health and brand portfolios, with links to the underlying evidence.
10 Companies With the Lowest Data Privacy Scores (2026)
We scored thousands of public companies on data privacy using court filings, regulatory penalties, and investigative reports. These 10 scored lowest on our Safe & Smart Tech dimension.
How to Check Your Portfolio for Ethical Risks Manually
There is no single label that can tell you whether a portfolio matches your values. Fund names and ESG ratings compress different questions into one score, while the underlying holdings can include companies with very different records on workers, climate, weapons, privacy and sourcing.
Why ESG Ratings Miss the Full Picture (And What Replaces Them)
ESG ratings agencies rely on self-reported data, compress multidimensional conduct into a single grade, and get paid by the companies they evaluate. The result is a system that rewards disclosure over behaviour.
A Beginner's Guide to Researching Ethical Investments in 2026
Ethical investing starts with a personal question: which kinds of company conduct do you want your money to support or avoid? It does not start with an ESG label. Different ratings measure different things, and a fund marketed as sustainable can still hold companies with serious records on workers, weapons, privacy or pollution.
Are Sin Stocks Less Ethical? Data Says No (2026 Analysis)
We scored 11 tobacco, alcohol, and gambling companies against 8 mainstream blue chips across 11 ethical dimensions. The results challenge the conventional wisdom.
Smartphone Supply Chain Ethics: Apple, Samsung, Google Scored
Your smartphone passed through dozens of countries before it reached your pocket. We scored the companies behind it on supply chain ethics using court filings, labour investigations, and regulatory data. Only one scored positive.
AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud: Environmental Impact Compared
AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud dominate the digital economy. We scored Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet on environmental impact using court filings, regulatory data, and investigative reports -- not corporate sustainability PDFs.
Defence Stocks 2026: Ethics Scores for 13 Major Contractors
Defence stocks are among the best performers of 2026. We scored 13 major defence companies across 11 ethical dimensions. Here is what the data shows.
Nvidia vs Meta vs Google: AI Ethics Compared (2026)
Compare NVIDIA, Meta and Google on AI-related ethics, privacy, workers and climate. See dated company scores, primary evidence and product-level limits.
20 Food Companies Ranked on Animal Welfare (2026)
We scored 20 major food companies on animal welfare using supply chain audits, court filings, and investigative reports. Only one scored positive.
17 Most Environmentally Damaging Mining Companies (2026)
Compare environmental scores for mining and related companies. See the leaders, laggards, dated evidence and limits behind sustainable-mining claims.
Big Pharma Ranked on Patient Access & Fair Pricing (2026)
We scored major pharmaceutical companies on patient access, drug pricing, and ethical conduct across 11 dimensions. Most scored negative. Here is the data.
Fast Fashion Worker Rights: Industry Ethics Scored (2026)
We scored 10 publicly traded fashion companies on worker rights and ethical sourcing using court filings, labour investigations, and NGO reports. Most scored negative.
Most Ethical Banks 2026: Data-Driven Ranking
We scored 25+ major banks across 11 ethical dimensions using court filings, regulatory actions, and investigative reports. Here are the banks that scored highest on governance and financial inclusion.
What Court Filings Reveal About Corporate Conduct (Data Study)
Public court filings, regulatory penalties, and investigative reports tell a different story than corporate sustainability reports. Here is what we found when we looked.
Inside 'Ethical' ETFs: What the Holdings Actually Look Like
We scored the 26 most common holdings in popular ESG ETFs across 11 independent dimensions. 17 of 26 have a negative average score.
Defence Contractors Hidden in Index Funds (2026 Data)
Most passive investors hold defence stocks without knowing it. We analysed the major index fund holdings and scored 15 defence companies across 11 ethical dimensions.
ESG Ratings vs Documented Corporate Conduct: Where the Gaps Appear
Compare 10 companies using verified Mashinii score records, with missing dimensions shown separately and links to each company’s evidence.
The Evidence Brief