What is ESG? | ESG Full Form | ESG Term

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is shorthand for an investing principle that prioritizes environmental issues, social issues, and corporate governance. Investing with ESG considerations is sometimes referred to as responsible investing or, in more proactive cases, impact investing.
The term ESG first came to prominence in a 2004 report titled “Who Cares Wins”, which was a joint initiative of financial institutions at the invitation of the United Nations (UN). By 2023, the ESG movement had grown from a UN corporate social responsibility initiative into a global phenomenon representing more than US$30 trillion in assets under management.
Criticisms of ESG vary depending on viewpoint and area of focus. These areas include data quality and a lack of standardization; evolving regulation and politics; greenwashing; and variety in the definition and assessment of social good. Some critics argue that ESG serves as a de facto extension of governmental regulation, with large investment firms like BlackRock imposing ESG standards that governments cannot or do not directly legislate. This has led to accusations that ESG creates a mechanism for influencing markets and corporate behavior without democratic oversight, raising concerns about accountability and overreach.