Sustainable investing advocate says ‘anti-woke’ backlash in US won’t stop the movement

NEW YORK (AP) — Maria Lettini already knew of the backlash against ESG investing when she took over as chief executive of US SIF last year.

US SIF is an advocacy group that supports sustainable investing, which encourages investors to consider a wider set of risks including the environment, social issues and corporate governance in hopes of improving their returns.

But returning to the U.S. after several years working in the U.K., Letting wasn’t prepared for how widespread the backlash against ESG was. Lettini spoke with The Associated Press about that and sustainable investing generally. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Is it true that investors in the U.K. and Europe are more into sustainable investing than in the U.S.?

A: In the U.K. and E.U., I would say I think the normal everyday population really cares about those issues. They care about the climate and impacts of climate change. They care about where their food comes from. They care about workers and a living wage. They care about what they’re doing in their communities and in their own backyards – and importantly how that influences and destroys nature not only for their families but also further afield.

I don’t think that’s much different than in the United States, if you start from the bottom up. You’ve seen recent polls showing people believe the U.S. needs to do something about climate change. Even if it’s a very partisan issue, the general public recognizes there’s a problem.

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