DiscoverSustainability WiredThe ESG Backlash Changed Sustainable Investing. Where Do We Go Next and Can AI Help?
The ESG Backlash Changed Sustainable Investing. Where Do We Go Next and Can AI Help?

The ESG Backlash Changed Sustainable Investing. Where Do We Go Next and Can AI Help?

Update: 2025-06-12
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Sustainability is facing growing headwinds. Political pushback, regulatory uncertainty, and questions around performance are driving skepticism and, in some cases, retreat. Meanwhile, investors are being asked to do more with less, navigating complexity, nuance, and tradeoffs in their sustainable strategies.

Can AI help investors cut through the noise? And how can the industry rebuild trust in the value of sustainable investing?

In this episode of Sustainability Wired, Clarity AI’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Lorenzo Saa, sits down with Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School and author of Grow the Pie, to unpack the forces reshaping sustainable investing and what can be done about them.

They explore:

 ✅ Why some pushback on sustainability is justified and how the industry can respond
 ✅ The risks of black and white thinking around climate and net zero
 ✅ How investors can apply nuance and tradeoff thinking in their portfolios
 ✅ Why AI is useful, but no substitute for human judgment in sustainable investing
 ✅ The future of diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies for driving long-term value

Watch now to learn why nuance, evidence, and transparency—not slogans—will define the next phase of sustainable investing.

🔗 Follow Clarity AI for more insights: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clarity-ai 

📌 Key Moments:
 00:00 – Introduction
 01:00 – Sustainable Investing Facing Headwinds
 02:31 – Introduction to Alex Edmans
 05:10 – Why Is There a Sustainability Backlash?
 08:29 – Decoding the Research on Sustainability
 12:10 – Getting Sustainability Terms Right
 17: 04 – Net Zero Targets Need a New Perspective
 21:00 – Nuance vs. Black & White Thinking
 24:30 – Merit and Diversity in Hiring
 29:56 – Finding Hidden Signals of Alpha
 36:12 – Can AI Address Sustainability Challenges?
 38:30 – Rapid Fire Questions
 40:00 – The Art of Sustainability
 44:40 – Closing Remarks

📩 Like, comment, and subscribe to stay up to date on sustainability, AI, and investing trends!

#SustainabilityWired #SustainableInvesting #NetZero #AI #ResponsibleInvesting #ClarityAI

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The ESG Backlash Changed Sustainable Investing. Where Do We Go Next and Can AI Help?

The ESG Backlash Changed Sustainable Investing. Where Do We Go Next and Can AI Help?

CLARITY AI