ESG: Why these three letters won't save the planet

Those three letters have morphed into shorthand for hype and controversy. (Image: Getty)

Mon, 25 Jul 2022

If you are the type of person who is loath to invest in firms that pollute the planet, mistreat workers and stuff their boards with cronies, you will no doubt be aware of one of the hottest trends in finance: environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing. It is an attempt to make capitalism work better and deal with the grave threat posed by climate change. It has ballooned in recent years; the titans of investment management claim that more than a third of their assets, or US$35 trillion ($56t) in total, are monitored through...

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