False Profits of Ethical Capital

Claire Parfitt is a Lecturer in Political Economy at The University of Sydney

'A rich contribution to social science from the winner of the 2022 doctoral dissertation prize of the Global Network on Financial Geography (FinGeo), who incisively interrogates the prophecy that better management of environmental, social, and governance risks (ESG) can build a more equitable, stable, and sustainable capitalism. A must read for students and scholars, proponents and opponents of ethical capital.'Professor Darius Wojcik, Professor of Financial Geography, National University of Singapore

• Introduction: A more responsible and resilient capitalism?Part I Moral economiesChapter 1 A history of capital’s moral economies and speculationChapter 2 A speculative moral economyPart II Risk and valueChapter 3 Ethics, risk and value: the derivative logic in actionChapter 4 Accounting for ethics: SASB and Integrated ReportingPart III Producing ethical capitalChapter 5 Brands and the (re)production of ethicsChapter 6 ESG information as an ethical capital assetConclusion: Risky politics: Considerations in contesting ethical capitalReferences