Green's Gray Areas
Bloomberg Businessweek US|February 20 - 27, 2023 (Double Issue)
Al Gore wants to show that sustainability is profitable, but his firm’s results are complicated
David Rocks and Pat Regnier
Green's Gray Areas

Few have done more than Al Gore to galvanize public opinion on climate change. The former US vice president’s documentary An Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar. He shared the Nobel Peace Prize for work on climate change. And he’s trained tens of thousands of activists to raise awareness about the threat of a warming planet. Addressing the plutocrats gathered in Davos, Switzerland, last year, Gore thundered with the fervor of a Baptist preacher: “Who cares if our children and grandchildren curse us and ask, ‘What in God’s name were you thinking? You had the ability to stop this hell on Earth!’ ”

Less known is his effort over the past two decades to prove the compatibility of capitalism and sustainability. On a backstreet in London, behind the giant video screens and tourists swarming Piccadilly Circus, lie the offices of Generation Investment Management. The company Gore co-founded has quietly minted some of the biggest profits in sustainable investing. Last year was tougher, though. Its biggest fund slumped 28%—similar to competing funds—as markets reeled from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, supply chain shocks and inflation. (Gore calls it a “little blip” in performance for the sector.)

There’s another, potentially more consequential issue: Despite Generation’s focus on environmental, social and governance, or ESG, factors, companies that make up almost half the holdings of its largest, $26.4 billion fund have increased their planetwarming greenhouse gas emissions in recent years.

Esta historia es de la edición February 20 - 27, 2023 (Double Issue) de Bloomberg Businessweek US.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición February 20 - 27, 2023 (Double Issue) de Bloomberg Businessweek US.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK USVer todo
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 minutos  |
March 20 - 27, 2023