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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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The climate crisis is a child rights crisis: Introducing the Children's Climate Risk Index
The report highlights how one billion children are at extreme risk due to climate change with small island states and countries already facing existential threats. It is a call to action for businesses and governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and commit to sustainable practices.
The comprehensive business case for sustainability
Sustainable businesses redefine the corporate ecosystem by creating value for all stakeholders, including employees, shareholders, supply chains, civil society, and the planet. Managing sustainability risks requires making investment decisions today for longer-term capacity building and developing adaptive strategies. Significant cost reductions can result from improving operational efficiency, and sustainable companies deliver significant positive financial performance.
New EU guidance helps companies to combat forced labour in supply chains
The guide provides practical advice on identifying, preventing, mitigating, and addressing forced labour's risk and translating international standards into concrete action. The guidance is in line with the previously published EU trade strategy and upcoming legislation on Sustainable Corporate Governance.
Opportunity NOCs: How investors can jumpstart energy transitions in national oil companies
This report outlines how national oil companies (NOCs) must begin decarbonising to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, and how investors can influence and incentivise the energy transition. It shows that NOCs constitute half of the world’s oil and gas production and control two-thirds of global reserves, making them of great interest to investors.
The economic impact of ESG ratings
This report examines the impact of ESG ratings on fund holdings, stock returns, and firm behaviour. The study finds that only MSCI ESG ratings can explain the holdings of US ESG funds, and slow, gradual responses in ownership suggest that fund managers mainly use ESG ratings to comply with ESG mandates.
Human rights risks in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region: Practical guidance from investors
The guide sheds light on the ongoing human rights crisis in the Uyghur region of China, exposing a multitude of risks for investors. The report gives practical recommendations on how to assess exposure, engage with portfolio companies, and collaborate with stakeholders.
Why and how investors should act on human rights
This report outlines how institutional investors can respect human rights as defined by international standards. The six principles of ESG investing, such as incorporating ESG issues into decision-making processes and seeking appropriate disclosure help to promote acceptance of human rights in the investment industry.
Do socially responsible firms walk the talk?
This study evaluates U.S. firms that signed the Business Roundtable's stakeholder capitalism pledge. Despite claims of social responsibility, signatories performed worse on environmental, labor, and governance metrics than peers, both before and after signing. The results suggest these public commitments lacked substance and may have been strategic signaling.
An integrated framework to assess greenwashing
Companies, nonprofits, and governments are increasingly engaging in greenwashing despite regulations for misleading advertisements. This report provides a framework for detecting greenwashing in such claims for all actors, whether non-commercial or non-advertisements.
SDG action manager technical guide
This guide provides businesses with a web-based impact management solution to take action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through 2030. The guide describes the overall structure, module design, baseline module, SDG-specific modules, scoring methodology, and development process of the SDG Action Manager in a concise manner.
Unlocking investment capital for Indigenous Peoples
This paper tackles the challenges faced by Indigenous communities in accessing investment capital. It explores capital requirements and common barriers to obtaining the necessary funding, providing recommendations to fill gaps in access, provide support, and facilitate positive partnerships.
Renewable energy and Indigenous people
This paper outlines challenges and opportunities for Indigenous Australians in adopting renewable energy, emphasising successful partnerships with experienced developers. It stresses the importance of building knowledge and capability at various project scales and recommends support mechanisms to empower Indigenous communities in advancing their renewable energy projects.
Investor ESG guide on private security and human rights
This investor guide highlights that private security-related adverse human rights impacts are common and typically include excessive use of force, unfair working conditions and sexual exploitation. As fiduciaries, institutional investors are obligated to identify and mitigate these potential adverse impacts.
Sustainable investing: Establishing long-term value and performance
The study finds that corporations with a commitment to sustainable investing have superior risk-adjusted returns. While fund managers face challenges in capturing the outperformance with some exceptions, they have not generally underperformed. Integrated reporting can be used to improve the transparency and accuracy of ESG information.
At the crossroads: 10 years of implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Australia
The report examines the implementation and impact of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Australia over the past decade.
Net zero integrity: Assessment of the net zero pledges of Australian companies
This report assesses the net zero pledges of ten Australian companies, highlighting a gap between current voluntary commitments and the requirements of global standards. None of the firms have a comprehensive, quantified, and independently verified plan for reducing emissions in line with a science-based pathway.