Since 2002
Postings and Commentaries
by Ron Robins
Podcast: August 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks
August 2026 Sustainable Stock and ETF Picks. Includes articles on the top clean-tech companies, AI infrastructure stocks, and ESG funds.…
With Too Much Love From Institutional Investors, Companies With High ESG Ratings May be Overvalued. Activists Are Taking Note.
“Activists and others are looking for companies with low marks on environmental, social, and governance check lists.” [COMMENTARY]Some studies suggest…
AllianceBernstein: Understanding Your Bond Portfolio’s Carbon Footprint.
“Transitioning to a net-zero carbon economy* is vitally important, and corporate bonds will play a critical role in the transition.…
A Deconstruction of the Short-Termism Thesis.
“The only reasonable conclusion from reading [this book] it is that short-termism is like the proverbial emperor with no clothes.…
Moving to Clean Energy–Will It Take a War?
“Despite the urgency coming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy cannot happen without…
It’s Been a Rough Start to 2022 for Sustainable Investing Stock Strategies.
“As energy stocks surged and tech tumbled, sustainable portfolios had a tough quarter.” [COMMENTARY]I argue that most ESG funds are…
ESG — A Mystery and a Shock Poll.
“Climate-related financial risks are getting growing attention — but a new survey from BCG casts doubt on how seriously institutional…
Why investors may need to pivot from ESG towards carbon-intensive industries.
“Investors have been keen to show their green credentials by shunning carbon-intensive industries. The cost of that virtue signalling is…
The Social Purpose Transition Pathway.
“The purpose of this project is to assess the degree to which companies with a stated social purpose are governing,…
An Inconvenient Truth About ESG Investing.
“None of the high sustainability funds outperformed any of the lowest rated funds… companies in the ESG portfolios had worse…
ESG Is The Third Wave Of Change In Asset Management After Graham And MPT.
“Amy Domini, one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People, started one of the first socially responsible funds 30 ago. She…
The Rise of Anti-ESG Shareholder Proposals
“These proposals, though few, are increasing and contribute noise to analyses of ESG voting… Issues include ideological diversity of the…
ESG Standards Talk: A Step Towards One Global Disclosure Standard?
“Finally we are looking at the possibility of one comprehensive global standard for disclosure on sustainability and ESG, which will…
Green investing: the global system for rating companies’ ethical credentials is meaningless.
“As the war in Ukraine rages, finance professionals on Wall Street and in Europe recently attracted outrage by suggesting that…
Why ESG Investors Put Too Much Emphasis on the Environment.
“SEC Chairman Gary Gensler recently announced plans to formulate a human capital disclosure requirement for public companies. Reporting metrics might…
Hedge Funds Balk at ‘Really Problematic’ Rules Steering ESG.
“Hedge funds keen to get a piece of the $40 trillion ESG market are voicing growing frustration over what they…
Clarity AI: Only 7% of a Sample of 31,000 Equity Funds Have More Than 10% ‘Green Revenues,’ as Defined in the EU Taxonomy.
“The EU Taxonomy aims to align market participants on definitions of sustainability, but investors need to dig deeper to know…
Coming to Terms with a Maturing ESG Landscape.
The momentum and support for environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration into the investment process has reached critical mass. Most…
The False Promise of ESG.
“But do ESG ratings really deliver on the promise? Are highly-ranked ESG businesses really more caring of the environment, more…
Morningstar’s Jon Hale: Advisors’ ESG ‘Wave-Off’ Is History.
“Speaking with Barron’s Advisor, Hale says sustainable-fund active managers may need to tweak their approach to continue outperforming. He weighs…
The failed promise of ESG and the Wall Street Journal.
“In a just-published series of critical articles in The Wall Street Journal, columnist James Mackintosh outlines the ‘failed promise’ of…
