Sustainability Cleansing

We are witnessing not the death of sustainability, but its quiet rebirth under new language, as companies rebrand, reframe, or conceal ESG, Net Zero and DEI ambitions to avoid political or cultural backlash. The book will argue that “cleansing” is both a symptom of political polarisation and a stage in the natural evolution of corporate responsibility, moving from commitment to performance to proof.

• Chapter 1, “Silence After the Storm,” introduces the political and social context: how ESG became a lightning rod.
• Chapter 2, “The Anatomy of Sustainability Cleansing,” dissects the forms this new corporate silence takes.
• Chapter 3, “The Politics of Backlash,” examines the ideological forces behind the anti-ESG movement.
• Chapter 4, “The Media, Misinformation and the Messaging Trap,” explores how outrage economics distort public understanding.
• Chapter 5, “The Business Case for Sustainability Is Indisputable,” demonstrates why responsible practice remains profitable.
• Chapter 6, “Under the Surface: The Reality of Corporate Action,” reveals the continued, often hidden, momentum of genuine change.
• Chapter 7, “The Cleansing Paradox: Retreat as Renewal,” reframes withdrawal as a stage of maturity.
• Chapter 8, “Restoring Trust in the Post-ESG Era,” maps the pathways back to credibility.
• Chapter 9, “The Future of Corporate Responsibility,” looks ahead to an age of integration, where doing good and doing well finally converge.