UN report finds ESG funds invested in companies profiting from genocide
A new report from the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory names dozens of corporations alleged to be aiding Israel in its “genocidal campaign in Gaza.” They include numerous companies that benefit also from so-called “ESG” investment, such as Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems, Google’s parent company Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft. Indeed, the report highlights how the flow of financing to these companies is “buttressed by the choice of financial advisory companies and responsible investment associations to not consider human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory in their assessment of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing. ” As the report notes, “this allows responsible/ethical investment funds to remain environmental, social and governance compliant despite investing in…companies involved in violations in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
Read the report here.
