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Formerly the ESG Research newsletter

Hi there,

It’s been too long.

In the early days of COVID-19, I started an ESG research newsletter to explore which parts of that rapidly growing ecosystem were grounded in fact and which were not. I then stopped publishing it when I took a “real job.”

There’s a version of events where I continued writing about ESG and its many trials and tribulations. However, that’s not how things turned out. Part of my motivation to writing extensively this year is “regret minimization.”

I want to build more of a “portfolio career” that better reflects my skills and interests across many domains. I don’t want my ideas to stay locked away, going unspoken and unread. I’d much rather be in a position where I can read, write, and publish what I like on my own terms.

Today, it’s unclear how enduring ESG will be within finance. There are obvious benefits - improved corporate governance and better handling of non-financial risks - but the last five years have shown a clear rise and fall with political blowback…