A Short Guide to ESG: History
- Media Manager
- Nov 19, 2023
- 1 min read
Activist Post
Written By: Paul Mueller
Published: November 19th, 2023
The intellectual lineage of the ESG movement is fundamentally globalist and collectivist. I will focus on these two major intellectual themes that have come together in the ESG movement. They are the international push for the development of poor countries and the idea that corporations have extensive social responsibilities. Understanding these movements, and a few pivotal historical moments, will help us understand the direction of ESG activism. It’s also worth noting how ESG has been wrapped in the language of finance, investment, and profit.
International Development
New international organizations arose in the post-WWII era, most significantly the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the United Nations (UN). International development became a massive, and newly self-conscious, undertaking. Before these organizations emerged, countries pursued national domestic and trade policies largely independent of one another. The international scene was largely driven by private trade subject to diverse national laws. International aid and international development were not independent undertakings by global organizations.
