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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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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.
Resources, energy and modern slavery: Practical responses to managing risks to people
This report provides practical responses for managing modern slavery risks in the resources and energy sectors. Covering topics such as risk to people and business, human rights risks, and key responses for addressing these risks, the report is an essential guide for companies seeking to effectively identify and manage modern slavery risks.
Blended finance: When to use which instrument?
Blended finance requires a deep understanding of the various financial instruments available. This paper offers guidance on selecting from diverse and innovative tools based on an organisation's context and finance requirements. The report provides practical relevance through case studies and key questions to help decision-makers in making a more informed choice.
Accelerating impact-linked finance
The report defines impact-linked finance and proposes a roadmap to accelerate and scale it. It summarises constraints to its implementation and provides examples of solutions.
Child-lens investing framework
This report introduces the Child-Lens Investing Framework, an approach to impact investing designed to guide investors to invest using a child-centric lens. The report provides an overview of the framework's various components and explores its alignment with leading responsible and impact investing standards and frameworks.
Sustainable investing capabilities of private banks
This report presents the findings of research into the sustainable investing capabilities of private banks, including governance, sustainability risk, and client interactions. The report notes progress among leading banks but highlights the need for continuing education for client advisors and improved ESG and impact reporting and monitoring capabilities.
Wealthy private investors and socially responsible investing: The influence of reference groups
The study investigates how wealthy private investors engage with socially responsible investing (SRI) and how reference groups influence their investment behaviour. Qualitative data from 55 interviews with high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) and industry experts show that while family members emphasize profit, fellow SRI-oriented HNWIs prioritise similarity and reputation.
Who pays for sustainability? An analysis of sustainability-linked bonds
This paper analyses sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs), which tie bond coupons to sustainability performance targets. They find issuing an SLB yields an average premium of -9 basis points on the yield at issue compared to a conventional bond, and the savings for an issuer exceed the maximum penalty for failure to meet the target.
The hidden risk in state pensions: Analysing state pensions’ responses to the climate crisis in proxy voting
This report analyses the proxy voting strategies of 19 state pensions, as well as the five New York City Comptroller systems, managing over US$2 trillion in assets. Results reveal that most pensions failed to address climate-related financial risk, especially in areas such as lobbying, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights.