ESG is dead. Now What?

Event ID: PP1162557

Mon, Mar 16, 2026 | 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Venue: Room 201-202 (JW Marriott)

View on Official SXSW

Summary

Cultural backlash killed the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework as a tool for motivating and measuring action on climate and social justice—proving that publicly traded companies are not going to drive us to a radically better economy. What is it? Nature-positive finance, a new approach that’s holistic, comprehensive, and resilient to political and stock market shifts. Three impact investing leaders illustrate the idea in practice, with a focus on finding scalable place-based strategies, spotting system change opportunities, and tying environmental impact to social impact.

Contributors

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