The database of Asian mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in high-emission sectors reveals a steady, not increasing, trend from 2020 to April 2024. This shift of high-emission assets from public to private ownership, totalling USD 5-9 billion annually, raises concerns about reduced transparency and accountability in emissions reporting. While not accelerating, this trend has negative implications for investor stewardship and emissions disclosure.

This practical guidance report provides a principles-based approach that equips corporates with an understanding of the value of nature, identifies key frameworks, and encourages a call to action. It suggests implementing “no regrets” actions for risk mitigation while progressing work on key frameworks. It further recognises that taking actions now will create business value.

This guide aims to assist institutional investors in navigating the evolving landscape of nature-based finance. It offers practical insights into various investment opportunities, showcasing case studies that exemplify best practices and innovative approaches in nature investments.

The US has a significant opportunity to decarbonise its industrial sector and boost its economy by transitioning to a circular economy. This report explores the economic and environmental benefits of circular solutions in key industries, such as batteries, construction, and electronics. It also analyses current US policies that support a circular economy and provides recommendations for further policy interventions to accelerate this transition.

This toolkit provides guidance on improving business practices under Australia's Modern Slavery Act. It emphasises effective stakeholder and supplier engagement, human rights due diligence, and the use of digital technologies. The toolkit includes practical examples and recommendations for businesses, governments, and civil society to better combat modern slavery.

Big oil and gas companies’ climate pledges lack ambition and integrity, resulting in continued exploration and extraction. They fail to align with the Paris Agreement, relying on misleading accounting and greenwashing. Immediate action from governments and investors is essential to catalyse a socially just and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels.

This report examines the systemic inequity faced by the LGBTQIA+ community in the US, highlighting its significant economic consequences. It provides evidence of the positive link between LGBTQIA+ inclusion and financial performance, and outlines a framework for investors to advance LGBTQIA+ equity through system-level investing.

This report examines the current state of refugee-related investment, a subset of impact investing focused on companies benefiting forcibly displaced people. It discusses the need for sustainable solutions for refugees' economic inclusion, the challenges faced by this nascent field, and recommendations for governments, development partners, and private sector actors to accelerate refugees' social and economic inclusion while benefiting host countries.

This briefing highlights how businesses' impact nature and the significant economic and environmental consequences of biodiversity loss. It explores the risks of biodiversity loss and opportunities of investing in nature-based solutions, and offers recommendations for finance professionals to mitigate potential negative impacts and embed biodiversity considerations into decision-making processes.

This study investigates whether investors react to changes in ESG ratings that are not linked to firms' actual ESG activities. Using the 2015 Refinitiv coverage expansion as a quasi-experimental setting, it finds that mechanical rating increases influence ESG fund selections, especially among resource-constrained active funds, leading to portfolio allocations not truly reflective of firms' ESG performance.

The 2023 World Cooperative Monitor Report provides rankings of the top 300 global cooperatives by turnover and GDP per capita. It highlights the economic impact and member benefits of cooperatives, offering insights into their performance, sustainability, and contribution to local communities and development goals.

This report shows that the mutuals industry increased net assets by 4.2% to AUD$11.7 billion, largely driven by increased interest rates and continued loan growth. The report also highlights key insights into the industry's future, including pathways to a sustainable and customer-centric future, managing the cyber threat, closing the gap on sustainability reporting, AI risks and opportunities, and CPS 230 Operational Risk Management.

This report examines the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ rights in finance, focusing on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). It discusses challenges in implementing FPIC, such as differing views on indigeneity, determining adequate FPIC, poor information, and power imbalances. It concludes with the potential for mutually beneficial partnerships.

This toolkit aims to provide investors with guidance on how to navigate the intersecting terrain of AI and human rights. It covers the various aspects of AI implementation that have potentially significant implications for human rights, and how investors can engage with companies on these issues. Its focus is on emerging risks and opportunities for investors in the context of rapidly evolving technologies and the ethical challenges they pose.

This research paper merges innovation and regulation, commodifying nature through tradeable biodiversity units. This study explores how financialisation shapes conservation policies, highlighting tensions between market-driven solutions and regulatory frameworks, and the complex power dynamics involved in biodiversity finance.

The survey highlights the nascent stage of nature risk management in financial institutions. It covers governance, strategy, risk management, metrics, scenario analysis, and disclosures. The survey reveals low maturity levels but underscores the importance of integrating nature risks into financial practices to enhance resilience and sustainability.