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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 EU Inc.: Half European, fully digital, and genuinely innovative
The paper analyses the European Commission’s proposed “EU Inc.” framework, a harmonised digital-first company structure for EU start-ups and scale-ups. It assesses governance, financing, codetermination, digital registration and cross-border legal integration within existing EU and national company law frameworks.
Blocking a better world altogether: Rabobank’s bogus policy about animal welfare and sustainable agriculture
World Animal Protection argues Rabobank’s sustainability policies fail to match its financing practices, alleging continued support for companies linked to animal cruelty, deforestation and high emissions. The report urges stricter lending conditions, stronger monitoring and reduced investment in industrial livestock expansion to align with climate and animal welfare goals.
Building the financial case for urban adaptation: Guidance and case studies
C40 and Rebel outline how cities can structure urban adaptation projects to attract private finance, using ten case studies. Bankability depends on revenue logic, risk allocation, public de-risking, early financier engagement and credible monitoring.
The thematic assessment report on the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health
IPBES assesses links between biodiversity, water, food, health and climate, finding siloed decisions worsen trade-offs. It identifies integrated governance, sustainable consumption, ecosystem restoration and finance reform as response options to support more just and sustainable outcomes.
Legal opinion: Director’s duties and nature-related risks in the Philippines
CCLI’s legal opinion finds Philippine company directors must consider nature-related and biodiversity risks within their fiduciary duties. The report outlines potential legal, disclosure and governance consequences for failing to manage these risks, while also highlighting directors’ obligations to assess nature-related opportunities supporting long-term corporate resilience.
Legal form and corporate outcomes: Evidence from the societas europaea
Study finds Societas Europaea adoption improves firms’ international positioning, increasing foreign investor ownership and cross-border acquisitions. However, markets generally react negatively, information asymmetry rises, and shareholder returns weaken post-adoption, suggesting governance flexibility and supranational identity benefits may be offset by uncertainty and potential minority shareholder concerns.
Climate finance as a catalyst for peace
Research across 85 developing countries found climate finance was associated with lower resource-related conflict risk, particularly through reduced water scarcity and greater renewable energy access. The study suggests climate finance may support stability in fragile regions, with stronger effects observed where higher funding levels were directed towards adaptation and social infrastructure.
A Lens on the transition: Trends shaping the future economy: Sector in focus: Healthcare
Impax Asset Management reviews sustainability-driven trends shaping healthcare, highlighting AI-enabled productivity gains, regulatory pressures, and supply chain localisation. The report examines opportunities in healthcare equipment, life sciences and managed care, alongside risks from regulation, product liability, affordability concerns and geopolitical tensions.
AI in your portfolio: Risks & opportunities
Briefing paper outlining AI investment opportunities alongside systemic risks including bias, privacy, workforce disruption and environmental impacts. It highlights governance frameworks, due diligence tools and investor engagement strategies to support responsible AI investment practices and long-term portfolio resilience.
Hedging ambiguity with pro-social preferences: An illustration from green finance
The paper argues that pro-social preferences can offset ambiguity aversion in green finance by acting as a behavioural hedge. Using ambiguity-based investment models, the authors show socially motivated investors may accept uncertain green assets, lowering effective hurdle rates and supporting private capital flows into sustainable projects.
TNFD Learning Lab
TNFD’s Learning Lab is a free, open-access platform offering self-paced modules on nature-related issues and the TNFD framework. It provides videos, webinars, case studies and practical guidance to help finance and business professionals build capability in nature-related assessment, reporting and decision-making.
Deploying established climate technologies and solutions for buildings
Policy brief outlining market-ready climate technologies for buildings, including heat pumps, insulation, renewable energy systems and circular construction practices. The report highlights financing, policy and capacity barriers, particularly in developing economies, and recommends stronger building codes, targeted funding, and integration of traditional knowledge to accelerate low-emissions, climate-resilient buildings.
Systematic stewardship on the waterbed
Tröger argues corporate governance tools, including stewardship, say-on-climate votes and ESG-linked pay, cannot replace broad climate regulation. Firm-level interventions may trigger “waterbed effects”, shifting emissions rather than reducing them. Carbon pricing or comprehensive emissions caps are presented as more effective.
Tackling governance and financing for sustainability transitions
The report argues current financial systems misallocate capital towards resource-intensive activities, hindering sustainability transitions. It recommends policy, governance and financial reforms to redirect investment towards resource efficiency, low-carbon development and equitable transition pathways, particularly in resource-dependent economies.
Data shows regulation drives action: Forest 500 report 2026
Forest 500 finds that anticipated EUDR regulation is already driving corporate traceability and deforestation action, though progress remains uneven: only 4% of assessed companies are leaders, 63% show partial action and 33% remain laggards.
Discussion paper on the state of nature measurement
Discussion paper outlines integrating state of nature metrics into TNFD, GRI and SBTN frameworks. It proposes embedding consensus metrics from the Nature Positive Initiative across assessment, disclosure, transition planning and target-setting, highlighting ecosystem extent and condition as central to evaluating nature-related dependencies, risks and opportunities.