Advancing our understanding of the rising anti-ESG movement
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As climate risks intensify and demand for a resilient financial system grow, aligning academic research with initiatives driven by the business and financial sector has become crucial. To help advance our understanding and solutions, the Institute for Sustainable Finance (ISF) has announced Dr. Julie Bernard as one of this year’s research fellows.
“It’s a great opportunity to advance my work on the rising anti-ESG movement, its impact on organizational decision-making within capital markets, and how this is reshaping dynamics between key market actors in both the United States and Canada,” Bernard says.
Dr. Bernard is a professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development. Her research focuses on sustainable finance, responsible investment, and shareholder activism, particularly the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, proxy voting, and their roles in addressing the twin crisis—climate change and biodiversity crisis—as well as their integration of Indigenous issues.
Her research has received funding from several organizations, including Carbon Solutions @ Western and the Canadian Academic Accounting Association. She was also awarded the Past President’s Research Award in 2025, the Administrative Sciences Association of Canada (ASAC) most prestigious award.
The ISF Research Fellows Program serves as a vital link, promoting collaboration between top scholars and industry experts to generate solutions to environmental challenges. The Fellows will produce high-impact research on pressing topics helping shape Canada’s resilient and sustainable financial future.
For the past 50 years, the University has been a leader in sustainability research and education, and the Faculty of Environment has been a catalyst for environmental innovation, solutions and talent developed with the world, for the world.
Dr. Bernard joins a number of other fellows from across Canada, including Dr. Sean Geobey who is also a professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development.
