ESG in Latin America

For some, the success or failure of corporate Latin America is all about the money. The money numbers tell us which companies are succeeding, and which are failing. Ultimately a profit or loss indicates whether they are competing well, merely surviving, or heading for a fall. The return on investment will attract or scare off investors. Among those who call for a relentless focus on the bottom line, many stress that, in a capitalist market economy, company managers have an overriding legal obligation to maximise returns for their shareholders. In short, making money is seen as the essential raison d’etre for a wide range of companies operating in Latin America, whether small or large, stock-exchange-listed or family owned. The theory is that the pursuit of profit, through the workings of the free market, will lead to greater efficiency and higher living standards for society. Everyone wins.