Would you be surprised if I tell you that ESG and the World Economic Forum are very closely linked?

Sorry to bother you again with ESG, and yes, while Wall Street pretends to distance themselves from it, the story does not end.

Current administrations worldwide have missioned ISSB (International Sustainability Standards Board) to work on financial reporting standards that will in the end be implemented in ALL financial reporting for stock-exchange listed companies worldwide.

The ISSB has nominated a Technical Readiness Working Group (TRWG) who is the taskforce on the matter.

These are the members:
- Mardi McBrien, Chair, Technical Readiness Working Group; Chief Operating Officer, Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB)
- Sue Lloyd, Vice Chair, Technical Readiness Working Group; Deputy Vice Chair, International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)
- Curtis Ravenel, Managing Director, Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
- Janine Guillot, Chief Operating Officer, Value Reporting Foundation (VRF)
- Olivier Schwab, Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum (WEF)
- Veronica Poole, Global IFRS and corporate reporting leader, Deloitte
- Spencer Powell, Performance Lead, Impact Management Project
- Bryan Esterly, Chief Technical Officer for the SASB Standards, Value Reporting Foundation (VRF)

One name stands out. And yes, our 85-year old Founder and Executive Chair of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab, has sent one of his two children to actively participate here. You all know that WEF’s annual meeting attracts more billionaires and CEOs than any other event on earth, and more political leaders than any gathering outside the United Nations General Assembly.

Olivier Schwab works full-time for the WEF as head of technology, and is a member of WEF’s 10-member managing board. He formerly led WEF’s China operations.

The ISSB standards are expected to be finalized and adopted by a number of jurisdictions around the world in the coming years. Let's keep a close eye on this, I have a very uneasy feeling here.