Background: The integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria into investment decision-making has accelerated considerably in the post-pandemic era, driven by both regulatory mandates and growing investor awareness of non-financial risks. Despite this proliferation, empirical evidence on whether superior ESG performance systematically attenuates market volatility remains fragmented, methodologically heterogeneous, and regionally uneven. Objective: This study investigates the relationship between firm-level ESG performance and stock return volatility, with particular emphasis on whether high-ESG portfolios serve as a structural buffer against market-wide and idiosyncratic volatility shocks. We additionally examine whether this buffering effect is moderated by market conditions, firm size, leverage, and regional market development. Methods: Using a balanced panel dataset of 3450 firm-year observations drawn from 22 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific over the period 2018-2023, we employ a multi-method quantitative strategy combining i) two-way fixed-effects panel regressions, ii) Dynamic Conditional Correlation GARCH (DCC-GARCH) modeling for volatility connectedness, iii) System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) to address endogeneity, and iv) quantile regression to capture heterogeneous effects across the volatility distribution. ESG scores are sourced from Refinitiv Eikon, MSCI, and Sustainalytics, with composite scores constructed via Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to mitigate provider divergence. Results: High-ESG-performing firms exhibit statistically significant reductions in idiosyncratic volatility (β = ？0.147, p < 0.001) and conditional return variance (DCC coefficient = ？0.089, p < 0.01) relative to low-ESG peers. The buffering effect is most pronounced during periods of elevated market stress (VIX > 25), in developed markets, and for the Environmental and Governance pillars specifically. Systematic (market) beta is not significantly reduced by ESG performance, suggesting the mechanism operates primarily through firm-specific risk channels. GMM estimates confirm robustness to endogeneity, and quantile regressions reveal that the protective effect intensifies in the upper tail of the volatility distribution. Conclusions: ESG performance functions as a meaningful, though partial, hedge against market volatility, primarily operating through idiosyncratic risk reduction. Investors, portfolio managers, and regulators should recognize ESG
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