I am increasingly seeing headlines such as this one, which appeared recently in the article in the url below:
"Don't Call it ESG, Call it Resilience."
In particular:
"There's a new buzzword in sustainability circles when it comes to investing in renewables and clean technologies: resilience."
The pertinent term here, I think, is "buzzword," which implies exactly the right amount of thought that has gone into this latest phase of the environmental conversation. To me, it feels more like a reaction to what suddenly cannot be said (i.e., ESG) than reflecting any serious attempt to chart a measured and coordinated approach to tackling climate change:
"'In the beginning you had 'social' and 'responsible investing' and then it became 'ethical investing' and then a whole host of other things have sort of emerged from that,' said Jason Britton, chief product officer at asset manager Sphere. ''Sustainability' was a buzzword for a really long time then 'regenerative' and 'triple bottom line,'' he said. 'This is an industry's effort to describe an incredibly complex thing in a series of one or two marketing words. 'Resilience' is the bingo buzzword of the day.'"
As a result, we should expect a demise similar to all the other acronyms or "buzzwords" that have come and gone, whether CSR, SRI, ESG, sustainability, green, offsets, and so on. In my world, words matter because, when ill thought through, they reveal underlying biases and ignorance, or simply an attempt to greenwash (to borrow another fluffy phrase). The sooner we realize that trends or buzzwords are not the way to tackle a fundamental and existential threat to humanity (see Strategic CSR – Jeans), the greater the chance we will have to do something serious about it:
"For investors, 'resilience' is the new catch-all term for investments aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change on their businesses. Often seen alongside terms like 'adaptation finance' or 'transition finance,' ESG professionals are using the word increasingly in marketing and communications related to their investments."
The sentiment 'moving deck chairs around on the Titanic' comes to mind. Of course, climate change is not waiting while we decide whether we are serious.
Take care
David
David Chandler
© Sage Publications, 2023
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Don't Call it ESG, Call it Resilience
By Yusuf Khan
February 28, 2025
The Wall Street Journal
