This article is adapted from remarks the author made during a session — Impact & ESG Investing: The Path Ahead — at the recent Opal ESG and Impact Investing Forum in West Palm Beach, Florida.

I believe that the ESG backlash — which is not at all surprising to me, having spent my career in sustainability work and environmental activism — is, to a not insignificant extent, a political red-herring. It is used to create political leverage and election talking points, and it has little to do with what ESG actually is and does.

Moving beyond that key point, it is crucial to recognize that much of the confusion surrounding ESG stems from a lack of understanding and consistent implementation. To re-ground the conversation about ESG, we must first clarify 1) what it is and 2) what it isn’t.

ESG, or Environmental, Social, and Governance factors, is an analytical framework that helps investors assess the sustainability and ethical impact of a company or investment. It is not an investment strategy in and of itself, but rather an essential tool for evaluating the long-term value and resilience of a business.

To reground the conversation about ESG, we can take the following seven steps:

1. Education and awareness: We can increase awareness of ESG’s role in finance, emphasizing that it is a form of analysis rather than a standalone investment strategy. We can encourage investors, asset managers, and companies to learn more about ESG factors and their significance in the long-term success and sustainability of businesses.

2. Standardization: We can work towards establishing a universal set of ESG metrics and reporting standards that would enable investors to compare companies and investments more accurately. This would make it easier for investors to integrate ESG factors into their decision-making processes and alleviate confusion. Three examples of such standards are: 1) the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), 2) The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and, for climate, 3) the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (FSB).

3. Transparency: We can encourage companies to be more transparent in their ESG reporting, allowing investors to make better-informed decisions. Transparent reporting also helps hold companies accountable for their ESG performance and motivates them to improve in these areas.

4. Integration: We can promote the integration of ESG factors into traditional financial analysis and decision-making processes. By incorporating ESG data alongside traditional financial metrics, we can facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of a company’s performance, risks, and opportunities. This approach can help reduce fiduciary risk and lead to better-informed investment decisions.

5. Collaboration: We can encourage dialogue and collaboration between various stakeholders, including investors, companies, regulators, and industry bodies, to share best practices, address challenges, and promote the importance of ESG in finance. By working together, we can create a more robust ESG ecosystem and improve the overall understanding and implementation of ESG principles.

6. Demonstrate value: We can showcase success stories and empirical evidence that highlight the positive impact of ESG analysis on investment performance and risk management. By demonstrating the value of ESG integration, we can help dispel misconceptions and further promote its adoption in the finance industry.

7. Long-term perspective: We can emphasize the importance of taking a long-term view when considering ESG factors. Companies that excel in ESG performance are often better equipped to handle unforeseen challenges, adapt to changing market conditions, and capitalize on opportunities, which can lead to better long-term outcomes for investors.

The above steps are a starting point. From an Impact Economy perspective, it is also important to acknowledge that for ESG to truly contribute to transformative change and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we must address the inherent challenges that arise from the emphasis on shareholder value in public corporations.

To do so, we can consider these additional four steps:

8. Shift from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism and its relationship to ESG: To truly integrate ESG factors into decision-making, we must reframe the focus from short-term shareholder returns to long-term value creation for all stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and the environment. This shift will require a redefinition of corporate purpose and a rethinking of corporate governance structures to ensure that stakeholder interests are represented. By embedding ESG considerations into this broader stakeholder approach, companies can better align their operations with environmental, social, and governance goals, creating long-lasting positive impacts that go beyond immediate financial gains.

9. Align corporate performance with the SDGs and its link to ESG: Integrating the SDGs into corporate strategy not only demonstrates a company’s commitment to sustainable development but also strengthens its ESG performance. Companies should adopt the SDGs as a guiding framework for their strategic decision-making and operations, ensuring that their business activities contribute to the achievement of these global goals. By aligning ESG factors with the SDGs, businesses can systematically address key environmental, social, and governance issues, and investors can more effectively assess companies’ contributions to sustainable development. This alignment will ultimately lead to better ESG performance and help identify businesses that are actively contributing to a more sustainable future.

By integrating these additional four steps with the previously outlined seven steps, we can facilitate a deep-seated systemic change and drive the transformation of business and finance to align with sustainability values and goals.

10. Policy and regulatory changes in a challenging political environment: Recognizing that implementing ESG policy legislation can be difficult in a partisan atmosphere where such changes are likely to be construed by opportunistic politicians as “woke,” it is nonetheless essential to strive for these changes. Governments and regulators must play a critical role in creating a supportive environment for ESG-driven transformation. This can include implementing mandatory ESG reporting requirements, incentivizing investments in sustainable projects, and providing guidance on how businesses can integrate ESG factors into their operations and decision-making processes. By engaging in constructive dialogue and building cross-party alliances, we can work towards fostering a shared understanding of the economic, social, and environmental benefits of ESG integration, ultimately overcoming political hurdles and achieving meaningful policy reform.

11. Reimagining financial markets: We need to rethink the structure and functioning of financial markets to better align with sustainability objectives. This involves the development of new financial products and services that prioritize long-term value creation and sustainability, as well as the promotion of innovative financing mechanisms such as green bonds, donor advised funds, and other instruments for blended finance, and other, “adventurous” impact strategies and instruments.

By integrating these additional four steps with the previously outlined seven steps, we can facilitate a deep-seated systemic change and drive the transformation of business and finance to align with sustainability values and goals. This holistic approach will enable us to surmount the obstacles presented by the traditional focus on shareholder value and pave the way for a more sustainable and equitable future.