Artificial intelligence
fromFast Company
5 days agoSustainability is dead-long live purpose
Sustainability has been deprioritized, while purpose remains essential for long-term business success amidst the rise of AI.
Let me dissect what's going on - and why lawyers and boards should be paying rapt attention. For years, environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations were relegated to "nice to have" slide decks at annual meetings. Those days are over. Canadian companies are now operating in a climate where public perception and values‑based scrutiny moves markets, affects customer loyalty and triggers boycotts or protests, eroding brand equity.
"Ethical investing" often serves more as a form of virtue signaling than as a mechanism for actual change. It feels good. It sounds good. It gives you the sense that you're doing something. But feeling aligned and making an impact are not the same thing. Socially Responsible Investing has gotten more sophisticated over the years. Known by many names like ESG, Impact Investing, Mission-driven investing, what we're talking about is deliberately excluding companies from your investment strategy
Enthusiasm for corporate sustainability appears to be waning, with major firms seemingly quietly abandoning environmental goals, but David Picton remains optimistic. For him, sustainability is not an ethical question, but a business driver. A self-described "demon for cutting down on food waste" at home, Picton is senior vice-president of environment, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability at EcoOnline, a company that develops software tools to help organisations protect workers, meet environmental regulations, and embed sustainable practices.
There is growing awareness around sustainability-and the environmental cost of prematurely demolishing safe, structurally sound buildings only to replace them with new construction. In the broader race to reduce carbon emissions, corporations and institutions are placing greater emphasis on ESG performance (environmental impact, social responsibility, and governance). Many now require carbon accounting, set " carbon-neutral" targets, or purchase carbon credits to offset footprints.
RI Mining, a global leader in cloud mining, has officially unveiled its new Green XRP Cloud Mining Contract. Powered by clean energy, this innovative product addresses the high energy consumption of traditional mining while delivering stable daily returns of up to $18,000. The launch sets a new benchmark for combining blockchain technology with sustainable finance, opening the door to digital wealth for investors worldwide.
Aberdeen Group plc has unexpectedly terminated its Financial Fairness Trust, along with the CEO and trustees, marking the end of a significant 16-year commitment to research on inequality.