In this 30-minute interview, Boundless CEO Michele Demers speaks about the growing politicization of ESG and why it threatens to distract from the real work of building a sustainable economy. She explains how Boundless supports investors and companies with data-driven tools like life cycle assessment (LCA) to validate environmental performance, fight greenwashing, and enable smarter climate investing.

Who are your customers, and what are they asking you to do? We work with emerging cleantech investors and companies to conduct rapid life cycle assessments that validate environmental performance. We’re not a traditional consultancy—we don’t tell clients what they want to hear. We’re here to fact-check sustainability.

How has the politicization of ESG affected your business? It hasn’t. There’s too much capital flowing into climate solutions for political noise to get in the way. Even red states want IRA money. This backlash is a blip—it won’t stop the momentum.

Isn’t ESG performance just a political football now? There’s an economic argument that outweighs the noise. Companies are moving into a carbon-priced world. Investment managers are planning for real environmental reporting. The days of PR-massaged ESG ratings are fading—data and verification are the future.

How do you see ESG evolving inside asset management? Even if they don’t market it that way, firms will keep using ESG as a lens—because it’s smart investing. Clean tech is recession-proof, and governments can’t afford not to invest in circular and climate solutions.

Is your field crowded? Not crowded enough. Too many are chasing shortcuts with AI-based tools. But what’s needed—and what Boundless provides—is rigorous, science-based environmental validation. It’s the only real defense against greenwashing.