This work provides a behind-the-scenes examination of how corporate and financial entities promote a business-friendly approach to global sustainability. In response to increasing demands for transparency regarding their environmental impact, companies are sharing extensive reports on emissions, carbon output, and resource usage to bolster public trust in their corporate responsibility. However, Matthew Archer argues that these metrics often serve as mere hollow symbols. The narrative delves into the realm of major banks and multinational corporations, where sustainability is framed as a technical issue, thereby enhancing corporate power while failing to tackle the underlying causes of the climate crisis and social inequality. The fixation on metrics leads to the belief that measuring social and environmental impacts allows the market to manage them effectively. Drawing on five years of research, including ethnographic studies and interviews with sustainability professionals and private bankers, the book critiques this approach through analyses of prominent companies like Volkswagen, Unilever, and Nestlé. Archer advocates for alternative methods by integrating Black and Indigenous theories of knowledge, power, and value, ultimately proposing a vision of sustainability that is more effective and equitable.
