The Founder of ESG: How a Team of Renegades Defined Responsible Investment
Adam Hinds and Jordan Relfe welcome Paul Clements-Hunt on the ESG in Property Podcast, the visionary who transformed global finance with three simple letters. His remarkable journey from tabloid journalism to coining ESG and the Principles for Responsible Investment offers a fascinating glimpse into how sustainable finance evolved into a £121 trillion movement. Over three decades, Paul has shaped how global investment thinks and acts. What began as a planned two-year stint at the United Nations evolved into a transformative 12-year journey that would revolutionise investment thinking. As a self-described "left-leaning greenie but card-carrying capitalist," Paul and his team of "bright, off-reservation renegades" created ESG and the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Today, as Managing Partner of The Blended Capital Group and Strategic Advisor at Mishcon de Reya, he continues to shape the future of sustainable investment. The ecosystem he catalysed now includes more than 6,000 institutions and 112 stock exchanges backing UN principles and partnerships.