But for Impactive Capital co-founder and managing partner Lauren Taylor Wolfe, it all comes back to financial performance. "We believe that ESG without returns is simply not sustainable," she said Wednesday at CNBC's Delivering Alpha conference. Even if returns aren't the sole focus of an investment vehicle, sustainable investing can still generate alpha for investors. When it comes to applying an ESG lens to public market investing, Impactive Capital's Taylor Wolfe said investors need to be creative around how ESG is used to drive returns. She added that the recent market turmoil could spark a reset of sorts within the sustainable investing landscape.

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