[author: Charity Heller] Ten years ago, issues of corporate social responsibility (CSR) – such as measuring carbon footprints, socially responsive company policies, or ethical supply chains – might have been championed by activist employees or customers, but they were not a business objective for most organizations. What a difference a decade has made! Social change, advances in technology, and the ability to prove ROI have elevated issues of environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”). These are now hot topics in the boardroom and increasingly a requirement for investors, employees, and customers. Ten years ago, ESG was a grassroots initiative. Today, it is top-down.