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Episode 1376Apr 22, 2025

The religious roots of ESG investing

How ESG gained a foothold on Wall Street.

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The origins of ESG investing start about as far from Wall Street as you can get. Spiritually, anyway.
The origins of ESG investing start about as far from Wall Street as you can get. Spiritually, anyway.
Ariel Aberg-Riger

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Hey Smarties! Today we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at “How We Survive,” Marketplace’s climate solutions podcast. This season, host Amy Scott and the team dig into the rise of environmental, social and governance-based investing, or ESG, and the right wing backlash that followed. In this episode, the story of ESG’s start revolves around some unexpected players: rabbis, nuns and other faith-based investors.

The Team

The religious roots of ESG investing