Accessibility links
The OG of ESGs : The Indicator from Planet Money Decades before the current debate about ESG and "woke capitalism," there was a guy on Wall Street investing money on behalf of nuns and labor unions. He's known today as one of the pioneers of socially responsible investing.

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

The Indicator from Planet Money

The OG of ESGs

The OG of ESGs

Listen · 9:06
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1179545271/1198987417" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Enlarge this image

Climate activists hold placards as they demonstrate outside ExCeL, in London, during the multinational oil and gas company Shell Annual General Meeting (AGM), on May 23, 2023. Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

Climate activists hold placards as they demonstrate outside ExCeL, in London, during the multinational oil and gas company Shell Annual General Meeting (AGM), on May 23, 2023.

Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images

ESG and socially responsible investing are in the middle of today's culture wars, with lawmakers in some states enacting anti-ESG legislation. But the idea of making investment decisions based on environmental and social values goes back over 50 years. Today on the show, we tell the story of one of the pioneers who, by investing on behalf of groups from nuns to anti-fascist veterans, brought these principles to Wall Street.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: Facebook / Newsletter.

Subscribe to our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts and NPR One.

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.