Cancel culture – when to know enough’s enough

“... humanity’s best chance of success is open and honest debate..”

STUART Kirk said this in a detailed LinkedIn post in July that announced his resignation as HSBC Asset Management’s global head of responsible investing. In the post, he also spoke about the perils of cancelling voices that run counter to the current zeitgeist surrounding climate change and ESG investing.

Kirk’s resignation hardly came as any surprise, given that he was effectively “put on ice” by his then employer for nearly two months. This followed his controversial speech at a Financial Times conference pouring scorn over the financial risks brought about by climate change.