Beyond ESG: Reconstructing Corporate Pseudo-Social Responsibility Governance for Just Transition

Abstract

This paper critiques the proliferation of corporate pseudo-social responsibility enabled by fragmented ESG frameworks. We identify three manifestations-green hypocrisy, labor rights hypocrisy, and structural hypocrisy-driven by institutional voids in the PORE model. Proposing a paradigm shift toward Just Transition, the study constructs a just sustainability framework integrating environmental justice, institutional theory, and stakeholder rights. This framework repositions corporations as transition risk managers, capacity-building platforms, and institutional entrepreneurs. We further design a multi-level governance system combining regulatory reinforcement, organizational integrity cultivation, and assessment paradigm innovation. The research contributes a critical pathway to transcend ESG’s limitations and achieve ecologically grounded, socially equitable corporate sustainability.