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We summarise credible research and reports on sustainable finance and ESG issues. Our summaries, along with our AI ChatBot saves members time reading large reports, to focus on knowledge building and action.

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A path to post-growth pensions: How rethinking retirement savings could help us ensure wellbeing for all

Arketa Institute for Post-Growth Finance
This report examines how pension systems reliant on perpetual economic growth face systemic financial, social and environmental risks. It proposes reorienting pensions towards a post-growth framework, emphasising wellbeing and multicapital outcomes over financial returns alone, and outlines pathways and barriers for pension fund reform.
Research
14 January 2026

Climate change risk index and municipal bond disclosures of United States drinking water utilities

This study develops a climate risk index for 1,455 US municipal drinking water utilities and compares projected risks with municipal bond disclosures. It finds material mismatches between climate risk and disclosure, highlighting utilities where climate adaptation and financial risk management may be insufficient.
Research
22 January 2026

From promise to performance: Reforming blended finance for scale

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
This report examines why blended finance has failed to scale in emerging markets. Drawing on expert interviews and analysis, it identifies structural barriers and proposes reforms to improve transparency, risk pricing, liquidity, project pipelines and additionality, aiming to better mobilise private capital.
Research
2 July 2025

Sustainable investment funds: Design, implementation, monitoring and communication of sustainability attributes

The British Standards Institution (BSI)
PAS 7342:2025 sets out specifications for designing, implementing, monitoring and communicating sustainability attributes of sustainable investment funds. It provides requirements to support clear objectives, governance, evidence, disclosures and labelling, aiming to reduce greenwashing and improve consistency in fund communication.
Research
19 March 2025

Nature-related risk and financial implications for investors

Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
This investor briefing examines how nature-related physical, transition and system-level risks translate into financial risks for investors. It outlines macroeconomic and company-level impacts, and describes how institutional investors can integrate nature considerations into investment strategies, stewardship and policy engagement.
Research
20 November 2025

Advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment: Target setting guidance for banks

United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)
This guidance outlines how banks can set and implement measurable targets to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment across leadership, portfolios, financial inclusion and ecosystems, aligned with the Principles for Responsible Banking and Women’s Empowerment Principles.
Research
13 December 2024

Sustainability disclosure landscape report for risk management: Insights from climate-focused case studies

United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)
This report reviews sustainability disclosure standards and regulatory uptake, focusing on climate-related risk management. Using case studies, it examines IFRS S1 and S2 implementation, materiality assessments and transition plans, highlighting disclosure gaps, data challenges and practical approaches to improve decision-useful climate risk reporting.
Research
20 August 2025

IFRS S2: Climate-related disclosures

IFRS Foundation
IFRS S2 sets mandatory climate-related disclosure requirements for entities, covering governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets. It integrates TCFD recommendations and SASB guidance to improve consistency, comparability and decision-useful information for users of general purpose financial reports.
Research
11 December 2025

IFRS S1: General requirements for disclosure of sustainability-related financial information

IFRS Foundation
IFRS S1 sets general requirements for sustainability-related financial disclosures, requiring entities to report material sustainability risks and opportunities affecting cash flows, access to finance and cost of capital, using consistent governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics disclosures.
Research
11 December 2025

AASB S2: Climate-related disclosures

Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB)
AASB S2 establishes mandatory climate-related financial disclosure requirements for Australian entities, aligned with IFRS S2. It requires reporting on governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets, including greenhouse gas emissions, where climate risks and opportunities may affect cash flows, access to finance, or cost of capital.
Research
19 December 2025

AASB S1: General requirements for disclosure of sustainability-related financial information

Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB)
AASB S1 is a voluntary Australian standard setting general requirements for sustainability-related financial disclosures. It outlines objectives, materiality, governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics to inform users about risks and opportunities affecting cash flows, access to finance, and cost of capital.
Research
30 September 2024

Beliefs about the climate impact of green investing

Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE
The paper finds retail investors overestimate the climate impact of green funds versus academic experts. Expert benchmarks suggest minimal emissions effects. Informing investors reduces perceived impact and willingness to pay, reflecting misunderstandings of financial-market transmission mechanisms.
Research
1 December 2025

Mobilising investment for climate adaptation

Institute of Actuaries of Australia
This report assesses Australia’s escalating climate risks and argues for scaling adaptation investment. It recommends improved valuation methods, a nationally coordinated adaptation investment framework, and diversified public-private financing mechanisms to reduce long-term economic damage and enhance resilience.
Research
21 November 2025

Limited accountability and awareness of corporate emissions target outcomes

The study analyses 1,041 corporate emissions targets ending in 2020, finding limited accountability. Thirty-one per cent of targets disappeared and 9% failed, with minimal disclosure, media attention or market penalties. By contrast, target announcements improved media sentiment and ESG scores, raising concerns for future climate targets.
Research
21 January 2025

More than a buzzword: Mapping interpretations of the ‘polycrisis’

This study analyses how experts interpret “polycrisis” using Q-methodology. It identifies four coherent framings, showing consensus on cross-scale, interconnected crises but disagreement on drivers and governance. The authors argue polycrisis is an analytical lens, not a buzzword, informing sustainability science and policy.
Research
24 December 2025

Measuring companies’ environmental and social impacts: An analysis of ESG ratings and SDG scores

This study compares ESG ratings with SDG scores across major providers. It finds little correlation. SDG scores align with investor exclusions and EU Taxonomy assessments, while ESG ratings largely measure financial risk exposure, not real-world environmental or social impacts.
Research
4 April 2025
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