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DWS whistleblower says fears about greenwashing are ‘healthy’

Asset manager's former sustainability head Desiree Fixler says firms jumped on the ESG 'bandwagon' during Covid, but things are now changing thanks to tougher scrutiny

'Some firms thought it's just ESG... They didn’t think what they were doing might be misleading'
'Some firms thought it's just ESG... They didn’t think what they were doing might be misleading' Photo: Firn/Getty Images

Asset managers have become increasingly jittery about greenwashing over the past 12 months. Regulators have begun to crack down on firms that overstep the mark when it comes to marketing their sustainable investment funds.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management and BNY Mellon’s investment arm have both been on the receiving end of multi-million dollar fines from the US Securities and Exchange Commission for misleading claims over green products and failing to comply with ESG rules.

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