ESG: Investing in Profitable Science

Over the years an enormous amount of capital has been invested into alternative energy (remember synfuel projects from the early 1980s), cleantech with a variety of startups, and large-scale science projects. Fifty years later, the sprawl of new ideas and inventions has gradually gone from the lab hood to mass-scale production. It is a remarkable journey for scientific progress and the appetite for investment in the Big E has been paying off. Finance will play a critical role in capital allocation for ESG investments. Measuring the return on ESG will dominate board room discussions. A committed plan for ESG improvement will be required by all multinational corporations and the like. How this comes together is playing out in real-time in corporate valuations, M&A activity, and board of director selections. More on these important topics to follow…