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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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Women in business leadership boost ESG performance: Existing body of evidence makes compelling case
Increase in women's representation in business leadership positions intensifies environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. 70 peer-reviewed papers published from 2008 to 2017 proportionally associate higher diversity with better firm performance. The compendium of available material evolves into a pressing case for more women in boards and other leadership roles.
Beyond investment: The power of capacity-building support
This report explores the use of technical assistance to enhance the impact of investments in challenging sectors. With contributions from industry professionals, the report highlights motivations, uses and challenges of capacity-building support, and provides analysis to encourage discussion and shape future practice.
Impacts of climate litigation on firm value
This report examines the financial effects of climate litigation on firms. The study used a new dataset and found that climate litigation has a modest negative impact on firms' stock prices. The bulk of the corporate climate litigation were filed against the largest companies.
User’s guide to IFC’s sustainability assessment and improvement tool for midsize growth companies
This tool aims to help small to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) manage environmental and social risk and support long-term growth. The tool is contextualised for SMEs and provides comprehensive guidance focusing on environmental, social, and governance risk factors while presenting a pathway for manageable, systemic improvements.
Welcome to the great unravelling: Navigating the polycrisis of environmental and social breakdown
This report examines the ongoing crises of environmental and social breakdown, exploring their interconnected drivers and feedbacks. It offers pragmatic and personal solutions, challenging the myth of progress, and suggesting thoughtful change as the only hope for navigating this uncertain future.
The great wake-up: Why and how investors must act on women's health - now
This paper highlights the critical need for investor action in support of women's health in the workplace and beyond. The report examines the current lack of attention to this topic in the financial sector and provides guidance for institutions to learn, set priorities, act and activate systems toward improving outcomes on women's health.
Guide to banking and sustainability: Edition 2
This guide provides advice, best practices, and case studies for banks to integrate sustainability principles into their operations and services, ultimately enhancing the long-term value of their businesses.
Holistic portfolio construction with an impact lens: A vital approach for institutional asset owners in a changing world
This report highlights the importance for Institutional Asset Owners (IAOs) to apply an impact lens approach to their portfolio construction. By creating impact philosophies and policies, IAOs can align impact thematic(s) and drive an evolution towards providing both impact and financial returns to their beneficiaries.
Making Xinjiang sanctions work: Addressing forced labour through coercive trade and finance measures
This is a comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the measures adopted and implemented to address the issue of forced labour in Xinjiang, China. Based on open-source data and expert analysis, the report highlights key themes and outlines a set of recommendations designed to improve the effectiveness of current trade and financial measures.
Taking stock of investor implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
This report assesses the first decade of implementation of the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and the role of institutional investors in promoting investor responsibility to respect human rights. Enabling environments for rights-respecting investment have emerged, however, access to remedy for victims requires urgent attention, and other investment ecosystem actors must step up.
COMPASS: The methodology for comparing and assessing impact
The COMPASS is a methodology for investors to assess and compare impact data to maximise social or environmental returns. Upon collecting standardised data, this paper provides a step-by-step process to normalise impact information, using three key analytic figures, and to create benchmarks within peer groups to aid investment decision-making.
Sustainability at a turning point: Consumers are pushing companies to pivot
This research of 14,000 people from 9 countries discovered that 93% say that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed their perception of environmental sustainability. Individuals are, as a result, looking to invest in companies that prioritise environmental responsibility and expect them to communicate sustainability benchmarks and future plans clearly. In addition, more than half of consumers would work for a company that values sustainability, which is increasingly becoming a top hiring consideration.
Time to accelerate: Capital mobilisation for the SDGs in emerging markets
This progress report details two years of capital mobilisation for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in emerging markets. It highlights the need for government and private investors to take action if the SDG financing gap is to be closed, and outlines strategies for scaling private investment and reducing investment risks.
Financing SDGs in emerging markets: The role of green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked (GSSS) bonds
The report highlights the potential of green, social sustainability and sustainability-linked bonds in funding developing countries' progress towards the SDGs, offering recommendations for increased involvement from issuers, investors, policy-makers, and development finance institutions (DFIs).
Pensions and impact investing: How are National Advisory Boards (NABs) for impact investing engaging with pension funds to advance the market?
The Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG) runs an Engaging with Pension Funds working group to support affiliated members to deepen their engagement with pension funds to advance the impact investment market. The report reflects case studies and examples gathered from members of the working group from 2021-2022.
Bridging ESG silos: The intersection of climate change and modern slavery
This briefing for investors examines the intersection of climate change and modern slavery. It details how environmental and social risks are interconnected and can materially affect a company's long-term profitability. The report provides case studies and tools to help investors identify, assess, and respond to these risks in their portfolios.