ESG Was Never the Endgame--Capital Institute Pioneers a New Paradigm of Regenerative Investment

As ESG undergoes a public reckoning, Capital Institute calls for a radical reimagining of finance—one rooted in living systems, not KPIs and checklists.

STONINGTON, Conn., May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The ESG movement, once heralded as the future of sustainable investing, is faltering under growing criticism, confusion, and co-optation. But rather than abandoning the intent behind ESG—building sustainable, just, and well-governed businesses—the Capital Institute is calling for a bolder evolution: Regenerative Investment.

"Regenerative Investing is not ESG 2.0. It's a whole new paradigm," says Capital Institute founder, Regenerative Economics architect, and former JPMorgan executive John Fullerton. "It's about capital as a catalyst for genuine system change—where finance serves life, not the other way around."

The Capital Institute has always viewed ESG as a doorway into the far deeper inquiry—one whose time has come—and is a strong ally to the impact investing community. "We're not here to question impact—we're here to stretch its ambition towards systemic impact," says Fullerton, an impact investor himself.

To explore this paradigm shift, the Capital Institute is hosting a free live webinar:

Webinar: "Beyond ESG 1.0: The Rise of Regenerative Investment"
Subtitle: Why the collapse of ESG is our greatest opportunity for true economic transformation
Date: May 15, 2025 | 12–1 PM ET (New York)
Register now: https://capitalinstitute.org/beyond-esg-1-0-webinar-sign-up-page/

In this conversation, Fullerton will share:

• Why the backlash against ESG signals not failure, but opportunity
• The difference between sustainable finance, systemic impact, and regenerative approaches
• What it means to move from risk mitigation and shadow indexing to deep systemic value and resilience creation

"ESG was never supposed to be the endgame," says Fullerton. "It was a start. But we need more rigor, more truth-telling, and a reorientation toward economic transformation rooted in life itself."

Capital Institute, a longtime leader in regenerative economic thinking, welcomes investors, advisors, sustainability officers, foundations, and systems-thinking changemakers to join this timely dialogue.

The webinar also offers a preview of Capital Institute's upcoming course, Investment for a Regenerative Economy—a four-week immersive learning experience beginning June 2, 2025, for those ready to deepen their understanding of regenerative investment.

The course builds on Fullerton's groundbreaking 2018 working paper, Finance for a Regenerative World, which challenged conventional critiques of finance by addressing root causes through the lens of regenerative principles. Informed by years of additional learning and Fullerton's experience as a systems-focused impact investor, the program invites participants to move beyond ESG, expand impact, and embrace a living-systems approach to investment, ownership, and even philanthropy.

"Yes, the term ESG is on the ropes right now," Fullerton notes. "The intent behind it—creating sustainable, just, and well-governed businesses—was good. But in order to catalyze the genuine systemic transformation our world demands, this is our opportunity to reimagine the intention of ESG as if we were serious—as if people and planet mattered."

About Capital Institute

Capital Institute is a 501(c)3, non-partisan collaborative think tank and learning lab co-creating the field of regenerative economics. Founded by John Fullerton, the Institute supports individuals and institutions in rethinking finance, investment, and enterprise in alignment with living systems.

Press Contact:
Tay Lotte
[email protected]
303 720 0377
capitalinstitute.org

SOURCE Capital Institute