The Problem with Performative ESG

There is something troubling going on in the ESG movement. Recent news stories on ESG investing, the status of Chief Diversity Officers, and Pride month raise questions about the corporate commitment to such programs.

While ESG is not a new idea - in fact, the corporate social responsibility programs that preceded it date back to the 1970s - there has always been a tension between what companies say about environmental and social issues and what they are able to do.

In this episode of Dial P, Kelly Barner brings together three stories that touch upon where the ESG movement is right now and raises the question of where it is headed. 

• A powerful article titled Your Rainbow Logo Doesn’t Make You an Ally that appeared in the June 2021 edition of the Harvard Business Review
• A recent article from the Wall Street Journal that addresses the current standing of Chief Diversity Officers in corporate America
• Coverage of ESG-related changes going on at BlackRock, based on public statements made by CEO Larry Fink

Links:

• Kelly Barner on LinkedIn
• Dial P for Procurement on AOP