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ESG blah…blah…blah!

Buzzword: ESG and its reporting standards are a topical subject PIC: AZEUSCONVENE.COM
Buzzword: ESG and its reporting standards are a topical subject PIC: AZEUSCONVENE.COM

In recent years, the term "ESG" has permeated boardrooms, corporate annual reports, and marketing campaigns like an infectious buzzword. What does it actually mean though? How has it evolved?

Environmental, Social, and Governance, or ESG, was once a lofty idea that was supported as a driver of change in the corporate sector. However, businesses more concerned with looks than results have hijacked, distorted, and dilute it. It's high time we cut through the smoke and mirrors and demand substance from the world of ESG.

Let's not delude ourselves: ESG is nothing more than a glamorised marketing ploy in its current form. Numerous businesses have blatantly taken advantage of it to give the appearance of accountability while maintaining their unwavering focus on profit. They talk about "transparency," "diversity," and "sustainability," but they don't really mean to change the way they act. We should expose it for what it is — corporate virtue signalling, which is all it is.

Editor's Comment
Our digital safety is in our hands

That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...

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