Hedge funds off the pace on ESG integration, new bfinance investor poll finds Submitted By Hugh Leask | 28/04/2021 - 2:26pm Hedge funds are falling behind other sectors such as private equity and real estate when it comes to integrating ESG factors into their portfolios. But that tardiness may prove beneficial in avoiding other sectors’ earlier mistakes, as managers slowly adopt sustainability principles in the future, according to a new bfinance study.