There is no universally accepted definition of ESG, and disparities in understanding are more or less marked between continents. A consensus has emerged around the two 2015 initiatives that are the Paris Climate Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These initiatives, which define major principles, serve as a reference for companies and irrigate the economies of very many countries around the world, commencing with Europe. The problem of defining ESG at an operational level, however, lies in the absence of an authoritative body capable of proposing a content that is generally accepted like for example corruption with the OECD.