Lately, ESG is mostly in the news for the wrong reasons. Reading certain articles, it can seem as though some companies are happy to reap the benefits of seeming good, while shifting expenses (e.g., pollution) onto society. However, a lot of the negative coverage references ESG in its role as a guidance for investors (i.e., ESG for Assurance), despite the fact that ESG has evolved into an “organisational moral compass and set of principles.” Another facet of ESG – ESG for Impact, is more relevant to solving today’s greatest social challenges.
This is the realm of corporate social investors (CSIs). One can think of CSIs as pioneers working to move away from a risk perspective ESG towards real social change ESG. We at EVPA consider that their strategic contributions to the ESG strategy of their related company can facilitate real progress on the SDGs. Results from our recent study provide evidence in this regard.