What Is Anti-ESG Investing?

By Robin Hartill, CFP – Updated Apr 17, 2025 at 12:23 AM EST

Key Points

Anti-ESG investing focuses on profit without considering social or environmental impacts.
Assets in anti-ESG funds grew sevenfold to $2.1 billion in early 2023.
Florida banned ESG considerations in state pension investments in 2023.

ESG is shorthand for environmental, social, and governance factors. ESG investors often consider things like how a company is working to reduce its carbon footprint, whether it offers a safe workplace and promotes diversity, or whether its presence has a positive impact on the surrounding community.

But in recent years, anti-ESG investing has gained traction. We'll dive into how anti-ESG investing works and explain the arguments for and against ESG.

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Environmental, social, and governance technology concept with illustration of the Earth and corporate governance. — Image source: Getty Images.

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10 Best ESG Investing Stocks to Buy in 2026

People want to put their money in companies they feel good about, like these.

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About the Author

Robin Hartill, CFP, is a contributing writer at The Motley Fool. Robin’s work has also been published by Yahoo Finance, USA Today, and Penny Hoarder. She is a graduate of the University of Florida.

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Robin Hartill has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chevron. The Motley Fool recommends Lockheed Martin and Philip Morris International. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.