It appears that ESG, or at least the corporate accounting charade part of it, may finally have jumped the shark. If the news that former president Jacob Zuma is now fronting a carbon credits trading scheme in which Middle Eastern oligarchs dodge European carbon quota restrictions by buying up unspoiled African land was not evidence enough, the Karpowership debacle should have closed the case.

Karpowerships, of course, are the liquefied gas-burning floating “temporary” power station rental boats that are supposed to sail into South African waters to save the country from the worst effects of loadshedding.