Finance’s Pandemic Promises: Questioning impact and the Covid-driven surge in sustainable investing

Description

Paper Abstract:

Drawing on ethnographic field work with Houston hydrocarbon financiers that began in 2018, I explore the recent emergence of ESG within the US hydrocarbon sector. In particular, I address the question: is ESG an investment fad tied the underperformance of hydrocarbon investments at a time of increased concerns about climate change or a genuine systemic shift in investor demand? In the process, I show how US hydrocarbon firms and financiers are manoeuvring to cater to investor demands for ESG. What this ethnographic data demonstrates, I argue, is the power of institutional investors to shape the US energy sector and drive innovation, but also the ingenuity of firms and financiers in integrating investor fads into the status quo.

Period	8 Oct 2021
Event type	Conference
Location	Ravenna, ItalyShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International