Investors who evaluate companies using environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria are increasingly expected to act as private regulators, using their influence as stakeholders to pressure firms to act more sustainably. New research published in Strategic Management Journal finds companies under strong ESG investor pressure do generate lower direct emissions; however, they sometimes shift pollution to suppliers, which doesn’t change their combined emissions. The study also found evidence that this outsourcing can become reduced when investors help firms adopt eco-friendly technologies and directly oversee supplier practices.

Alcohol advertisers have long faced industry guidelines discouraging them from linking drinking with sexual success. Cannabis marketers have no comparable industrywide guidelines and may promote cannabis in connection with sex and intimacy. A new Washington State University study suggests such messages may influence young adults’ intentions to use cannabis before sex, with potential implications for sexual decision making and consent. Published in Communication Research, the study found that college students who interpreted advertisements as suggesting cannabis use resulted in better sex – whether the ads featured sexual themes or not – were more likely to expect those benefits and to say they might use cannabis before sex.