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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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Assessing the materiality of nature-related financial risks for the UK

Green Finance Institute
The report, Assessing the Materiality of Nature-Related Financial Risks for the UK (April 2024), quantifies how biodiversity loss and environmental degradation could materially affect the UK economy and finance sector. It finds nature-related risks—especially from water scarcity, soil decline, and biodiversity loss—could reduce GDP by up to 12% by the 2030s, exceeding impacts from the Global Financial Crisis or COVID-19.
Research
26 April 2024

Threat of mining to African great apes

The study assesses the impact of industrial mining on African great apes, revealing that up to one-third of the population about 180,000 individuals faces direct or indirect mining-related threats. West Africa is most affected, with limited habitat protection and minimal survey data, underscoring urgent needs for transparent environmental monitoring.
Research
3 April 2024

Social finance primer: A guide to the evolving role of measurement and evaluation in the social finance ecosystem

American Evaluation Association (AEA)
This report by the American Evaluation Association’s Social Finance TIG outlines the evolving role of measurement and evaluation within the social finance ecosystem. It explains key concepts in impact investing, frameworks for assessing outcomes, and the intersection between evaluation and social impact measurement, offering resources for practitioners.
Research
1 April 2024

Greenwashing, net-zero, and the oil sands in Canada: The case of Pathways Alliance

This article analyses how Canada’s Pathways Alliance representing 95 % of oil sands output frames its net-zero commitments. Reviewing 183 public communications, it finds widespread indicators of greenwashing, including selective disclosure, unverifiable claims, and poor accountability. The study urges broader scrutiny of coordinated industry communication across digital and public relations platforms.
Research
10 June 2024

Nature-related risks and directors’ duties under the law of England and Wales

Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative
The report analyses how nature-related risks arising from companies’ dependencies and impacts on nature affect directors’ duties under English law. It concludes that directors must identify, assess, and manage material nature-related risks under sections 172 and 174 of the Companies Act 2006 and ensure transparent, accurate disclosure to meet statutory and governance obligations.
Research
11 March 2024

Place-based impact investing: Emerging impact and insights

Impact Investing Institute
The report examines the expansion of place-based impact investing (PBII) in the UK since 2021. It outlines how institutional and local investors, supported by public–private partnerships, are aligning financial returns with social and environmental outcomes. The study highlights progress, barriers, and pathways to scaling PBII through collaboration and blended finance.
Research
20 May 2024

The business guide to advancing climate justice

B Lab
This 2024 guide, produced by Forum for the Future and B Lab, outlines how businesses can embed climate justice into strategy and operations. It defines principles for equitable community partnerships, offers practical frameworks across internal systems and supply chains, and emphasises trust-building, accountability, and regenerative, long-term collaboration.
Research
22 April 2024

Respecting rights in renewable energy: Addressing forced labour of Uyghurs and other Muslim and Turkic-majority peoples in the production of green technology

Investor Alliance for Human Rights
This report examines the use of forced labour involving Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim peoples in green technology supply chains, particularly solar and electric vehicle sectors. It outlines investor and policy gaps, highlighting opaque supply chains, limited regulatory action, and recommends divestment, due diligence, and global collaboration to address human rights risks.
Research
19 January 2024

Corporate human rights benchmark investor guidance

World Benchmarking Alliance
This World Benchmarking Alliance report guides investors on using the Corporate Human Rights Benchmark to assess company performance in high-risk sectors. It outlines key findings, investor engagement questions, and sector-specific risks to promote accountability, human rights due diligence, and responsible investment aligned with sustainable development goals.
Research
3 May 2024

Drivers of behavioral change and non change in transition times

International Panel on Behavior Change (IPBC)
The Drivers of Behavioural Change and Non-Change in Transition Times report, published by IpBc/GIECo in 2025, examines psychological, social, and organisational factors influencing why individuals and institutions act—or fail to act—on sustainability. Drawing on behavioural science, it identifies mindsets, emotions, implicit cognition, and systemic barriers as key determinants of ecological and climate-related behavioural shifts.
Research
7 July 2025

The architecture of power: Patterns of disruption and stability in the global ownership network

This report summarises global corporate ownership networks from 2007 to 2012, introducing an Influence Index to measure shareholder power. It finds increasing concentration among major institutional investors, particularly passive funds, forming a resilient super-entity that centralises corporate control and poses implications for competition and financial stability.
Research
26 January 2019

Engage, advocate, collaborate: Unpacking stewardship in Australasia in 2022

Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA)
This 2022 report by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia and KPMG examines how investors in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand practise stewardship. It identifies proactive, strategic, and reactive approaches, analyses barriers such as capability and structural limitations, and highlights collaboration, engagement, and policy advocacy as key tools for advancing ESG outcomes.
Research
26 November 2022

Translating to action: Net zero investment in Asia

Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC)
The Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC)’s fourth annual report surveys Asian investors managing USD 7.9 trillion to assess their progress on net-zero investment strategies. It highlights growing commitments to emissions measurement, climate solutions, and stewardship, while identifying data gaps, limited policy clarity, and inconsistent methodologies as persistent barriers.
Research
1 December 2022

Global estimates of modern slavery: Forced labour and forced marriage

International Labour Organisation (ILO)
The 2022 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage report by the ILO, Walk Free, and IOM estimates that 49.6 million people are in modern slavery of which 27.6 million in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage. The report highlights worsening trends linked to crises such as COVID-19, conflict, and climate change, and urges coordinated global action toward SDG Target 8.7.
Research
11 September 2022

Committee diversity effect on corporate investment risk practices

MDPI
This study investigates how diversity within corporate committees influences investment risk practices among ASX 300 firms (2018–2020). Using a composite index of gender, independence, and non-executive representation, the authors find that greater committee diversity enhances long-term strategic investment decisions and efficiency, improving governance and financial performance.
Research
24 September 2025

Mitigation efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and meet the Paris Agreement have been offset by economic growth

University of Washington
The report analyses post-2015 trends in carbon dioxide emissions using Bayesian probabilistic models. Despite a 25% drop in global carbon intensity since the Paris Agreement, economic growth offset these gains, increasing total emissions by 5.6%. Projections indicate a 2.4 °C temperature rise by 2100 and only a 17% chance of staying below 2 °C.
Research
17 October 2025
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