This report summarises over 1,000 studies (2015–2020) and finds that most show a positive relationship between ESG and financial performance. ESG integration and long-term strategies tend to enhance returns and risk management, while disclosure alone has limited financial impact.

This report summarises private shareholder engagements in Japan by Governance for Owners Japan between 2009 and 2019. Findings show high success rates and positive abnormal returns, with quiet activism proving more effective than public campaigns. Evidence indicates such private engagements support Japan’s governance reforms and long-term shareholder value.

This report summarises research on US firms’ exposure to temperature variability and its financial effects. It shows that volatile temperatures reduce profitability, affect consumer demand and labour productivity, and influence investor attention. Portfolios exposed to higher variability underperform, indicating temperature volatility is a material climate risk for firms and investors.

This report summarises empirical evidence on the economic effects of disclosure and financial reporting regulation. It reviews challenges in identifying causal relationships, assessing costs and benefits, and evaluating market-wide outcomes. The authors highlight limited conclusive evidence and propose priorities for future research to better inform policy and regulatory design.

This report summarises how policy portfolios support long-term, multigenerational investment planning by balancing strategic discipline with tactical flexibility. It presents model portfolios for institutional and ultra-high-net-worth clients, emphasising client-specific customisation, risk management, and the integration of long-term capital market assumptions to guide portfolio construction and decision-making.

This report summarises research comparing the effectiveness of “exit” strategies, such as divestment and boycotts, with “voice” strategies, such as shareholder engagement, in influencing corporate behaviour. It concludes that when most investors are even slightly socially responsible, engagement leads to socially optimal outcomes, whereas exit rarely does and can reduce welfare.

The report by Japan’s Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) evaluates how engagement by external asset managers has affected investee companies from 2017–2022. Using causal inference analysis across over 26,000 engagements, it finds positive links between engagement and improvements in corporate value, governance, decarbonisation, and diversity.

This study analyses whether investor engagement on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues reduces firms’ downside risk. Using data from 1,443 engagements with 485 global firms (2005–2018), it finds that successful engagements, particularly on environmental and climate issues, significantly lower downside risk and related environmental incidents.

This report summarises analysis of 31 PRI-coordinated investor engagements on environmental and social issues between 2007 and 2015. It finds that leadership structures, particularly two-tier models with lead and supporting investors, enhance engagement success, improve target company performance, and are associated with higher subsequent fund flows for participating investors.

This report analyses the interaction between physical and transition climate risks, showing their inverse relationship and implications for asset valuation. Using an extended DICE model, it quantifies how abatement policies affect costs and damages, links findings to SSP/RCP scenarios, and highlights valuation headwinds for global equities under varying decarbonisation pathways.

This report reviews research on climate finance, focusing on how climate risks affect financial markets. It discusses theoretical models and empirical evidence on pricing climate risk in equities, bonds, housing, and mortgages, and explores portfolio strategies for hedging. Future research directions in modelling, measurement, and financial stability are highlighted.

This report examines the link between shareholder rights and corporate performance in the 1990s. Using a Governance Index across 1,500 firms, it finds that stronger shareholder rights were associated with higher valuations, profits, and growth, while weaker rights correlated with lower performance and abnormal underperformance.

This report presents Enel’s case study on implementing CFO Principles for the SDGs. It outlines historical drivers, sustainability disruption, strategic responses, and SDG investments, highlighting decarbonisation, electrification, and financial performance assessment. The report details Enel’s renewable energy expansion, SDG alignment, and integration of sustainability outcomes with financial results.

This report examines how investor and manager motivations—driven by either financial value or personal values—shape sustainable finance and ESG practices. It highlights definitional ambiguities, performance debates, and cultural differences, calling for clearer research to distinguish pecuniary risk-return considerations from non-pecuniary preferences in ESG investing.

This paper surveys 509 equity portfolio managers on their treatment of environmental and social factors. Findings show most prioritise financial returns, with limited willingness to sacrifice performance. ES constraints from mandates, policies, and client values strongly influence decisions. Beliefs and constraints outweigh fund labels in shaping sustainable investing practices.

The report outlines the fourth edition of the Science Based Targets initiative’s target-setting protocol. It provides updated guidance, criteria, and methodology for companies to set near-term science-based greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, aligning with 1.5°C pathways and incorporating broader coverage across sectors, geographies, and organisational boundaries.