Tariq Fancy | ESG investing and its discontents

The recent meteoric rise of ESG or sustainable investing is both compelling and undeniable. Today, more than 3,500 asset managers and related organizations representing more than $120 trillion in assets under management subscribe to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which are a set of voluntary and aspirational principles that encourage the incorporation of ESG factors into investment decisions. But as more and more professional investors publicly proclaim their ESG and sustainability bona fides, real questions persist as to both their sincerity and their actual impact on the pressing social and environmental challenges of our day—most notably, climate change.  Tariq Fancy served as the first Chief Investment Officer for Sustainable Investing at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. But since leaving the firm, he has become a prominent critic of the efficacy of ESG investing and the greenwashing efforts of many investment firms and a strong proponent of policy solutions to address climate change. In this episode, Chad Reed and Jeff Eckel dive deep with Tariq into the heart of ESG investing and the sustainable capitalism movement. We also speak with Tariq about the mission and initiatives of the education technology nonprofit he now leads—Rumie.  Links The Secret Diary of a Sustainable Investor SEC Chair Gary Gensler: Prepared Remarks Before the Principles for Responsible Investment “Climate and Global Financial Markets” Webinar (07.28.21) United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Rumie Tariq Fancy on LinkedIn