ESG Unlocked

Money flows like never before--yet few stop to ask where it comes from. Every dollar is rooted in something deeper: nature, people, and trust. These are the real sources of prosperity. And they’re under threat.

At a time when Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) thinking is under political fire, ESG Unlocked delivers a powerful and practical guide to what ESG really is--and why it matters more than ever.

Dowse and Woods make the compelling case that ESG isn’t a fad or a ＂woke＂ distraction--it’s modern capitalism done wisely. With engaging storytelling, sharp insights, and a holistic framing, they connect the dots between financial returns, intangible assets, and our own decisions.

Whether you’re an executive, an investor, or simply someone who wants their choices to reflect their values, this book shows how to make ESG work for you.

Understand ESG.Use it. And unlock a healthier, wealthier future--for your business, your portfolio, your communities, and your planet.

Josh Dowse is Head of ESG and Sustainability at the communications firm SenateSHJ. Over the past 30 years, Josh has been one of Australia’s most trusted thought partners and communicators on ESG, sustainability, energy, and climate change. He has prepared or reviewed dozens of ESG or sustainability strategies, facilitated and/or ghosted significant public documents such as AEMO’s Integrated Systems Plan (Australia’s national energy plan) and CSIRO’s Australian National Outlook.
After a brief stint as a lawyer and authoring Australian Corporate Practice, he has focussed on helping specialists develop their ideas, as a publisher with Allen & Unwin, an editor of the McKinsey Quarterly and a communication consultant with McKinsey & Company. In doing so, sustainability and ESG have become his focus and passion. His other formal roles are as a thought partner with Clarity Thought Partners, and co-director of St Andrew’s College (Sydney University) course on Complex Problem Solving.
Josh has an Honours degree in History, an LLB and a Master’s in environmental law and Economics, and learned as much as a father of four, a director of a disability NGO and a long-time coach and president of a junior rugby club.

Ian Woods is Principal of Ian Woods Advisors, advising asset owners, asset managers and investment industry associations on responsible investment strategies. He is a global leader in responsible investment strategies, having been Head of Responsible Investment at AMP Capital for 19 years, and co-founder of the Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) and its Deputy Chair for 13 years. He is currently a member of Chronos Sustainability’s expert network and serves on the Technical Advisory Group for the ASFI Taxonomy Project and was a member of the Coordinating Working Group for the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI).
Before entering the finance sector, Ian was a manager at a leading environmental consulting firm, assisting companies with the assessment and management of environmental issues, and spent three years at an environmental and safety risk consulting firm in London.
He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering and a Masters of Environmental Law, an Executive MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.