BlackRock’s ESG Investment and the 1690s’ Emergence of British Finance

This case examines contemporary Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) investment through a case study of BlackRock, one of the world’s leading providers of investment, advisory, and risk management solutions. It focuses on BlackRock’s ESG strategies and challenges, including climate risk, regulatory pressure, and investor demand for products with sustainability objectives. The case study encourages students to consider the choices—practical, ethical, and financial—available to investors by reflecting on historical events. The case features Professor Anne Murphy, an internationally renowned historian who provides insights into the early financialization of the British state. These insights promote students, as investors, to reflect on how historical financial events echo modern ESG investment and make decisions for long-term ESG investment strategies that balance financial returns with societal impact.