ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. This fashionable investment stance has replaced to a large extent the Western world's earlier fascination with 'ethical investing'. The three factors are used to measure the sustainability and societal impact of an investment in a company or business. The goal of ESG investing is to consider more than just a company's financial performance, and to also take into account the impact that the company is having on the world.

Let's break down each of the three elements of ESG:

Environmental (E): This component refers to how a company's operations impact the natural environment. This could include things like:

Climate change policies and carbon footprint
Use of renewable energy
Waste and pollution management
Conservation efforts and treatment of animals
Compliance with environmental regulations
For example, a company that invests heavily in renewable energy sources, actively manages its waste, and minimizes its carbon footprint would score highly on the 'Environmental' aspect of ESG.

Social (S): The social component of ESG refers to how a company manages relationships with its employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities in which it operates. This could include things like:

Worker health and safety
Labor standards and practices
Community engagement
Human rights policies
Customer satisfaction and privacy
A company that treats its employees well, invests in local communities, respects human rights in its supply chain, and protects customer data would score highly on the 'Social' aspect of ESG.

Governance (G): The governance component of ESG refers to a company's leadership, executive pay, audits and internal controls, shareholder rights, and transparency. This could include things like:

Board diversity and structure
Ethical business practices and transparency
Executive compensation
Shareholder rights
Corporate behavior and compliance
A company with a diverse board, transparent business practices, reasonable executive compensation, and strong shareholder rights would score highly on the 'Governance' aspect of ESG.

An ESG investor will look at these three factors when deciding which companies to invest in. The idea is that companies with strong ESG performance are not only more socially responsible, but also more resilient to various risks, which makes them better long-term investments.

It's important to note that there is no standard way to calculate ESG scores, and different rating agencies might weigh factors differently. This can lead to different scores for the same company from different agencies.

As an investor, it's always a good idea to understand the ESG factors that are most important to you and to do your own research to ensure that your investments align with your values.