Breaking Up with ESG: Why It’s Time to Rethink the Acronym

The State of Sustainability Podcast is where we unpack the topics and trends of corporate sustainability, hosted by Saif Hameed, Founder and CEO of Altruistiq.

This time, Saif takes the mic solo for another short-form content byte, and he’s tackling one of his long-standing bugbears: ESG. Or more specifically, why it’s the end of ESG as we know it (and why that might not be a bad thing).

In this episode, Saif unpacks why the term “ESG” has always bothered him - and why it might be time to finally retire it. He explores:

• The origins of ESG as a concept designed for financial institutions, not operating businesses.
• How the framework became overloaded with hundreds of unconnected KPIs that can’t meaningfully be compared.
• Why “brand ESG” has lost its meaning - and how its politicisation (particularly in the US) has turned it into a cultural flashpoint.
• The path forward: focusing on what actually matters to each business, by breaking the ESG basket into specific, strategic priorities owned by the right teams.

Rather than treating ESG as a checklist or reporting exercise, Saif makes the case for a return to fundamentals - where companies define what truly drives value, resilience, and impact for them, and commit to doing fewer things, better.

To find out more about what we do at Altruistiq, visit https://altruistiq.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.