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Research
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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Gender bonds: A toolkit for the design and issuance of gender bonds in Africa
This toolkit was prepared to design and issue gender bonds in Africa. It provides recommendations for issuers and investors on the issuance and monitoring of gender bonds with a focus on transparency and reporting.
Full disclosure: Improving corporate reporting on climate risk
This report summarises how investors utilize corporate reporting to manage climate-related financial risks, identify opportunities, and set strategies for transitioning to net-zero emissions. The report contains investors' expectations from climate reports, insights on scenario analysis, and recommendations for improving corporate disclosure on climate risks.
Field guide to impact investing: For Australian charitable trusts and foundations
This is a comprehensive resource to help organisations make sustainable impact investing decisions. Covering everything from impact measurement to legal structuring, this guide contains expert insights and is designed to be an essential tool for the industry.
Managing nature-related financial risks: A precautionary policy approach for central banks and financial supervisors
This research paper argues that central banks and financial supervisors must adopt a precautionary policy approach to address the increasing nature-related financial risks in both the real economy and the financial system. This approach should be integrated into a wider set of regulatory and policy instruments to tackle environmental breakdown.
Deforestation tools assessment and gap analysis: How investors can manage deforestation risk
This report explores investor deforestation initiatives. It assesses existing tools and datasets, identifies gaps, and offers recommendations. The report highlights the importance of managing deforestation risk while acknowledging the complexity of supply chains and information gaps.
Sustainability bond framework
This sustainability bond framework was published to finance expenditures supporting green and social categories compliant with eligibility criteria. The framework adheres to the highest standards of environmental and social impact reporting.
Consideration of social risks and opportunities by occupational pension schemes
The UK government is calling for evidence on how occupational pension schemes can appropriately consider financially material social risks and opportunities when making investment decisions. Trustees must adhere to legal requirements to take account of ESG factors in their policies but there is concern that they lack the knowledge to manage financially material social risks.
Financing environmental and energy transitions for regions and cities: Creating local solutions for global challenges
This report presents recommendations for bridging the gap between financial institutions' lack of structures for local initiatives and subnational governments' lack of knowledge to take that role. It proposes adapting finance data to include integrated value.
Environmental beta or how institutional investors think about climate change and fossil fuel risk
This report examines how institutional investors think about climate change and fossil fuel risk. It finds that investors consider these issues subjectively and are primarily concerned with short-term investment horizons. The report argues that understanding investor perspectives is crucial for enhanced mechanisms both to mitigate GHG emissions and minimise climate change-related financial instability.
Superannuation fund trustee duties and climate change risk
This report analyses the duties of trustee directors in relation to climate change risk under the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993. It concludes that climate change risk should be considered by trustee directors to the extent that risks intersect with beneficiaries' financial interests. Trustees should weigh relevant information and keep records documenting the decision-making process.
Failure by design: Is the net zero asset managers initiative broken?
This initiative was designed to align asset managers' portfolios with net-zero targets. However, their methodology lacks standardisation and rigour, leading to ambiguous targets and little progress towards net zero. An overhaul of the initiative is needed to ensure asset managers are held accountable.
The purpose action gap: The business imperative of ESG
This report examines the gap between what consumers and brands believe and how they act when it comes to purpose and sustainability. Based on studies of 2,500 consumers and interviews with 125 large consumer companies, the report offers valuable insights for businesses looking to meet consumer and investor expectations.
Superannuation fund trustee duties and climate change - updated memorandum of opinion 2021
This is an updated memorandum of opinion with the last one given in 2017. The report looks at recent regulatory and industry statements and develops a two-step approach superannuation trustees should take to remain compliant with their regulatory obligations. Trustees must understand the risk posed by climate change to investments and manage any identified risks.
Sustainable voting behaviour of asset managers: Do they walk the walk?
This paper analyses a decade of voting data with more than 20 million observations to investigate asset manager characteristics that influence environmental, social and governance (ESG) voting patterns. Asset managers mostly vote against social and environmental proposals. Despite increased attention to sustainability, asset managers hardly voted in favour of these proposals.
Can sustainable investing save the world? Reviewing the mechanism of investor impact
The paper delves into how sustainable investing (SI) contributes to social and environmental goals. It highlights shareholder engagement as a well-supported mechanism, partial support for capital allocation impact, and limited empirical backing for indirect mechanisms. Policymakers are suggested to facilitate the spread of sustainable companies to amplify impact.
Prioritising nature-related disclosures: Considerations for high-risk sectors
This report outlines information on high-risk sectors for nature-related disclosures and their dependencies and impacts. It identifies sectors with the greatest risk and vulnerabilities and provides sector-based insights to deploy financial risk management and report nature-related financial disclosure in a consistent and meaningful manner.