President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gary Gensler, has been confirmed. Some are calling him the new sheriff of Wall Street. One of the big questions is, will Sheriff Gensler force companies to disclose their environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) activities? ESG is a broad but rather vague area that covers things like staff gender quotas, environmental concerns like CO2 gas emissions, or slave labor in supply chains—think cotton labor in western China. Many public companies already showcase their ESG goals, and that can help the brand. But it can leave the brand open to criticism.
Tim Shaler is an ESG investor in California and former portfolio manager at PIMCO. NTD asked him where he’s seen success with ESG in the past.