Esg Mindset - by Matthew Sekol (Hardcover)

About the Book

Learn to think critically about environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) and take a holistic approach to business that balances change with long-term organizational resilience and sustainable growth.

Book Synopsis

Businesses who take environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) seriously can transform their companies, industries and economies worldwide. Learn how to think critically about ESG to ensure your company remains resilient with sustainable growth in the long term.

ESG goes beyond decarbonization commitments, corporate goals and industry awards to core business issues, stakeholders and the balance sheet. Managing these risks and opportunities requires courage, imagination and careful analysis to improve and innovate around what is and isn't working at a company. It requires mainstreaming a consistent definition of ESG so key decision-makers are empowered to act across the business and their value chains, including in daily business practices, communication with stakeholders, financial considerations, and the integration of new technologies and products.

ESG Mindset guides business leaders, ESG specialists and CSR strategists through the nuanced and most thoughtful ways to focus on these core business issues. Equipping readers with an enhanced way to think through complex business decisions and interconnected crises, the book provides accessible perspectives and real-world examples from companies around the world that have implemented a meaningful approach to ESG and learned lessons along the way. Readers will learn how to think about pressing ESG challenges from a new perspective and build defensibility in their efforts to future-proof a business and potentially save the world as only they can.

Review Quotes

"ESG Mindset is a fantastic, insightful, and smart resource that navigates the complexity and nuances of ESG. Matthew Sekol delivers a practical and refreshing perspective on the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, addressing issues for originators, funds, and industry professionals on their journey to sustainability."-- "Matt Bird, President & Editor-in-Chief, ESG News"

"Matt Sekol's brilliant ESG landscape analysis, insights and actionable ideas in this important book provide a much-needed guide for today's leaders as they navigate the real-world challenges of building and running businesses. This book is a must read for those who strive to drive crucial and impactful returns for their business and society."-- "Samantha Katz, Co-Founder, IDiF"

"Matthew Sekol has articulated the multi-faceted and interconnected considerations of ESG. ESG Mindset is for anyone interested in gaining a holistic perspective of the past, present, and future of ESG and a terrific primer for those of us leading the ESG charge at companies."-- "Veena Jayadeva, Chief Equity and Impact Officer, Conductiv"

"Matthew Sekol underscores the value of ESG as an investment indicator. ESG Mindset shows how ESG can be the innovative solution to both rectifying material risk and to seizing an opportunity to create value for investors."-- "Colleen C Davis, Delaware State Treasurer"

"Matthew Sekol brings ESG back to its origins: as a tool to assess and advance a company's efforts to navigate a volatile and increasingly uncertain world. ESG Mindset is a valuable contribution that offers insight and inspiration on how ESG can inform business operations and strategy to create a just, sustainable, and prosperous future."-- "Joel Makower, Chairman and Co-founder, GreenBiz Group"

"Matthew Sekol offers a deep exploration of how companies should approach the fundamental changes required to integrate environmental, social, and governance performance factors. This is the perfect book to help you build your ESG expertise and conquer the biggest business challenges of our times."-- "Christine Uri, Founder, ESG for In-house Counsel"

"Matthew Sekol provides a straightforward way of thinking about how ESG can provide value creation by integrating rather than prioritizing ESG into strategic decision-making."-- "Amanda DeSantis, Founder, The Intangibles Initiative"

"Matthew Sekol's approach to ESG is not just innovative but also deeply insightful, challenging conventional wisdom and pushing the boundaries of how we view corporate responsibility and sustainable business."-- "Gihan Hyde, CEO and Founder, Communique"

"ESG Mindset is focused on the changes happening inside every enterprise today. Matthew Sekol's book will help everyone to grasp the mind shift needed to succeed in a complex context, to move faster, and to speak louder."-- "Graham Sinclair, Host of ESG and Coffee Podcast, Instructor at Harvard University, and Adjunct Professor at Villanova University"

"ESG Mindset is Engaging, Smart, and a Great read. Matthew Sekol makes sense of ESG. He capably explores what ESG means, its history, its challenges, and its potential. And he gives invaluable guidance for companies that want to put ESG into practice."-- "Paul Washington, Executive Director, The Conference Board ESG Center"

"ESG Mindset successfully wrangles the complexities of ESG into an accessible, informative, and engaging narrative useful to folks at all stages of their journey. This is both a great primer for beginners and a refresher for more experienced corporate sustainability professionals about the emerging challenges and opportunities of ESG."-- "Mike Hower, Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact"

"ESG Mindset delves into the world of ESG from a business impact perspective, skillfully drawing parallels between a company's long-term vision and its commitment to ESG pillars. Matthew Sekol's insightful exploration sheds light on the corporate value of ESG. A must-read for anyone seeking to comprehend the evolving dynamics of sustainable business practices."-- "Tahmina Day, Global ESG Solution Lead, Archer Technologies"

"Every page of ESG Mindset equips you with tools to navigate the evolving landscape of business. It's an invaluable crash course in corporate sustainability supported by thorough research and practical examples. If you're just starting your journey, picking up this book is an absolute must!"-- "Prerana Tirodkar, Senior Sustainability Analyst, Tango"

"If you find yourself filled with purpose and values and are looking for a way to integrate those into your business and daily work in a lasting way, you've come to the right place. Matthew Sekol will prompt you to ask: what more can we do? What more should I be doing? A must-read primer for ESG for everyone."-- "Theodora Lau, Founder, Unconventional Ventures and author of Beyond Good and The Metaverse Economy"

"This book is a bold and engaging attempt to unpack the confusion and provides an objective view of an all-round stock taking on where we go from here with ESG. Well worth a read for practitioners and skeptics alike!"-- "Helene Li, CEO and Co-Founder, GoImpact Capital Partners"

"This is an invaluable resource for anyone, or any employee, or any company, to address all of the elements of effective ESG. This book covers it all! A must read for anyone wanting to make a difference in the world through their work in ESG."-- "Shannon Houde, ESG Leadership Coach, Walk of Life Consulting, Ltd."

About the Author

Matthew Sekol is an ESG and sustainability advocate at Microsoft, based between New York City, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He guides companies across industries by unpacking their ESG and sustainability challenges along the intersection with technology. In his current role, he also sits on the LP Advisory Committee of Morgan Stanley's Next Level Fund. In 2023, Onalytica named him to its "Who's Who in ESG" list.