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The Past and Future of ESG: From Dividing the Pie to Growing It | FreeS Research

The Past and Future of ESG: From Dividing the Pie to Growing It | FreeS Research

A Complete Guide to ESG ESG — Environmental, Social, and Governance — has evolved from a niche investment framework into a mainstream lens for evaluating companies. Yet for many in China's tech and investment circles, it remains more buzzword than business practice. Here's what actually matters. **The Three Pillars** *Environmental* covers a company's carbon footprint, resource use, waste management, and broader ecological impact. For Chinese manufacturers, this increasingly means compliance with the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and domestic dual-carbon targets — not just greenwashing. *Social* encompasses labor practices, supply chain ethics, data privacy, and community relations. In China's context, this gets complicated fast: tech platforms face scrutiny over algorithmic labor management (think Meituan's delivery riders), while consumer brands navigate Xinjiang cotton controversies that can tank overseas sales overnight. *Governance* examines board structure, executive compensation, shareholder rights, and anti-corruption measures. For Chinese companies listing in the U.S. or Hong Kong, this includes VIE structure transparency

Linear Academy | What If a Product PRD Were a Press Release? Notes from Amazon's Reverse Workshop

Linear Academy | What If a Product PRD Were a Press Release? Notes from Amazon's Reverse Workshop

In mid-October, Linear Capital and Amazon's Digital Innovation team co-hosted a workshop to help Linear's portfolio companies understand Amazon's Working Backwards methodology. Nearly 50 team members from Linear's portfolio companies attended. With support from Amazon's Digital Innovation team, they experienced firsthand the working-backwards approach that Amazon advocates.