Related Posts
Is anyone planning on trading water futures?
Turnips at 496, Code is L1LVT
Additional Posts in Climate Change and Sustainability
Any BCG partners here open for a quick chat?
Any LEED certified folks here willing to chat?
Has anyone taken the SASB FSA exams? Any advice?
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.



Sure. What could go wrong?
You can spin the picture to demonstrate other types of tunnel vision.
Seems a bit myopic to focus only on decarbonization, considering S and G also include topics like human rights and labor practices, conflict minerals, etc. that have very material risks to companies - especially for manufacturing and tech hardware industries like semiconductors and other electronics.
I really hope you’re no partner in no major firm or company. Otherwise, it just shows how far away from global understanding of the situation we are. That’s just wrong on so many levels, even only accounting for environmental issues (mass pollution, water pollution, pesticides, biodiversity collapse)
And on a broader level, there will not be any ecological transition without a social transition as well. The two are intertwined. So yeah, kinda important to keep in mind that the S is actually super fucking important
What is all the other “stuff” exactly?
It wasn’t like this before, but when corporate norms worked their way into sustainability, the social pieces became more separate from the environmental ones. It makes zero sense except that it’s much more powerful for company leaders who are, in general, older white men. That’s often the “hook” that gets them on board to not have to consider the more divisive issues like diversity first.
Evident that you don’t understand what ESG is then. Hope that partner title isn’t real
Please explain how you can bifurcate the two? Decarbonization is part of ESG. What about de-emphasize transportation and infrastructure changes along with reporting to turn toward sustainable social behavior of the human race? I don’t understand why people think that we need to make “either/or decisions” exclusively when most problems are networks and fall into the wicked problem categories instead.
Agreed, ESG in practice is pretty laughable.
Yup, I totally agree. Possibly a contrarian view, but splitting focus slows us down, adds unnecessary complexity and gives companies more wiggle room to “greenwash”
My take Partner 1 is caught up in the culture wars and expressing a view on ESG, based on a belief system shaped by the lens they perceive the world through.
There is an ESG backlash happening, especially in US, where culture wars are unfolding and ESG has been grouped together with DEI. Supporting data in infographic below, showing backlash to boards and also the recently watered down SEC ruling (due to 20000 complaints).
This shows we need more education and we need to get better at engaging with people who have different views. We need to bring EVERYONE on the ESG journey to keep us within broad spectrum planetary boundaries.
The best way to engage is with first principles.
For example conservatives see DEI and ESG breaching personal freedoms and progressives see the need to swing pendulum to extreme to make up for historical/systemic failures, for the greater good, despite it being unfair in the short term, especially to white males.
Really it's a conversation of complete freedom vs complete equality and equitable outcomes. This is actually a paradox and determines the political spectrum. Both sides have weaknesses, one allows for selfishness and unfairness, the other is a path to authoritarianism.
Like most things the truth is somewhere in between, and ESG is the main pendulum we have to try and keep balance and stay within planetary boundaries. Kate Raworth and Doughnut economics can expand on more.
Deloitte 1
Amen to that
Is that why people talk so much about carbon neutrality? Did we win the war against methane and ozone in the wrong place?