What does ESG stand for?

• A. Environmental, Social, Growth
• B. Environmental, Social, Governance
• C. Economic, Social, Governance
• D. Environmental, Sustainability, Governance

Answer: (B)

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. The environmental aspect looks at a company’s impact on natural resources and the climate, including emissions, energy use, water, waste, and resilience to environmental risks. The social aspect considers how the company treats people and communities—employee health and safety, diversity and inclusion, labor rights, data privacy, and community impact. The governance aspect focuses on how the company is run—board independence, executive compensation aligned with long-term value, ethics, transparency, and risk management. Investors use this framework to gauge sustainability-related risks and opportunities that can influence long-term performance. The other options miss or mix elements: Growth isn’t part of the standard triad, Economic emphasizes financial/economic factors rather than environmental and social governance, and Sustainability is broader and not the specific three-part framework used in ESG.