While ESG is basically a mechanism to evaluate investment risk, various interest groups have weaponized the term to promote their specific agendas. Now nearly every policy proposal, regardless of validity, is dismissed without considering the long term implications of ignoring… Read More »A Victory for ESG
Electric vehicles (EVs) are seen as an important component of the efforts to address climate change as they have the potential to improve air quality and promote sustainable transportation. As investors increasingly prioritize ESG considerations in their financial decisions, the… Read More »EV and ESG Investing
Investors who have remained quietly on the sidelines could start making a lot more noise in the months and years ahead. First-time activists accounted for 37% of all shareholder campaigns in the first half of 2022, the highest level in… Read More »Shareholder Activism Rising
On September 27, climate activists in Liverpool, England loudly disrupted a government-sponsored event called “Reaching Net Zero.” While the heckling called attention to several specific concerns in the UK and the US, it also illustrated a broader challenge for many… Read More »What Is “Sustainability”?
The origin of the ESG or Environmental, Social and Governance framework can be traced back to the 70s. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, set forth 17 critical areas to address economic, social,… Read More »ESG and SDGs. Two Complementary Frameworks
The growth of socially responsible investing (SRI) has skyrocketed over the past several years. There is now over $17 trillion, or nearly 1/3rd of all capital under management, within funds that include progressive environmental, social and business governance (ESG) and… Read More »How to change corporate ESG behavior
The annual meetings of Exxon and Chevron, two of the world’s largest oil companies, are seldom controversial. Most agenda items, like director re-appointments and reviews of the financial statements, are routinely rubber-stamped by the participants. Management can customarily count on… Read More »Not a fire, but an opportunity
Capitalism is defined by the International Monetary Fund as, “an economic system in which private actors own and control property in accord with their interests, and demand and supply freely set prices in markets in a way that can serve… Read More »What is stakeholder capitalism?
Shareholder activism is a method to influence corporate policies and practices. As partial owners of a corporation, shareholders, also known as stockholders, have certain specific rights including the ability to vote at the annual meetings on such matters as approval… Read More »What is shareholder activism?