Book contents
- Reviews
- The Ethics of ESG
- The Ethics of ESG
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures and Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 ESG as Dead and Alive
- 2 Ethics by Proxy?
- 3 What Is the Purpose of ESG?
- 4 The Square Peg
- 5 Success, Law, and ESG
- 6 Reforming ESG Ratings
- 7 Responsibilization of Business and the Informational Ethics of ESG
- 8 The Ethics of ESG Integration
- 9 The Ethical Quandary of Monetary Valuation in ESG Impact Measurement
- Index
- References
7 - Responsibilization of Business and the Informational Ethics of ESG
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 December 2025
Book contents
- Reviews
- The Ethics of ESG
- The Ethics of ESG
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures and Tables
- Contributors
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 ESG as Dead and Alive
- 2 Ethics by Proxy?
- 3 What Is the Purpose of ESG?
- 4 The Square Peg
- 5 Success, Law, and ESG
- 6 Reforming ESG Ratings
- 7 Responsibilization of Business and the Informational Ethics of ESG
- 8 The Ethics of ESG Integration
- 9 The Ethical Quandary of Monetary Valuation in ESG Impact Measurement
- Index
- References
Summary
In this chapter argues that the ethics of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) must be understood as inseparable from the modes of responsibilization that have preceded it, which refers to developments in business ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and corporate sustainability. Focusing primarily on ESG as a heading for corporate responsibility policies and practices within the context of EU regulation, the chapter considers ESG as a supplement to prior conceptions rather than a stand–alone concept. After outlining the foundational, societal and environmental accomplishments of the three preceding constructs, the chapter argues that the defining, supplementary feature of ESG is that it is informational and that it has emerged as a concept that binds together the information needs of investors and other stakeholders, corporate disclosures, and government regulation. Thus, the ethics of ESG must be understood in terms of its ability to put greater and more obligatory demands on corporate responsibility through standardized reporting, standardized methods, and standardized data and performance measures.
Information
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Ethics of ESGCritically Assessing the Environmental, Social and Governance Movement, pp. 185 - 216Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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