Library | ESG issues

Board Structure

An effective board structure combines diverse expertise, skills, backgrounds, gender, and cultural perspectives. Boards consider factors like independence, rotation, term limits, and skill gaps when appointing directors. A well-structured board enhances resilience, strategic leadership, risk management, and investor confidence, fostering long-term value.

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2024 board diversity index

Governance Institute of Australia
This benchmark series provides an annual analysis of board diversity across ASX300 companies. It tracks representation beyond gender, covering areas such as cultural background, skills, age, tenure, and independence. The series offers longitudinal insights to assess diversity trends and board composition in the Australian corporate sector.
Benchmark/series
2 April 2024

CEW's senior executive census series

Chief Executive Women (CEW)
This benchmark series tracks annual progress in women's representation in executive leadership roles across the ASX300. It provides a consistent and comparative overview of gender diversity trends, highlights structural barriers, and evaluates corporate efforts towards achieving gender balance in leadership.
Benchmark/series
18 September 2024

Chief Executive Women (CEW)

Finance / Corporate Focused NGOs & Think Tanks
Chief Executive Women (CEW) is an Australian organisation uniting over 1,200 senior women leaders across sectors to advance gender equity. CEW offers leadership programs, scholarships, and conducts research to support women's progression into executive roles. Its members collectively oversee more than 1.3 million employees and $749 billion in revenue.
Organisation
1 research item

Broadening the horizon: How CFOs and finance functions can help drive corporate sustainability

Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
This report discusses the increasing need for businesses to prioritise environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. It highlights the evolving role of CFOs and finance functions in integrating sustainability into business strategies and decision-making processes due to their expertise in data analysis, risk management, and strategic planning.
Research
1 February 2024

FCLTGlobal

Finance / Corporate Focused NGOs & Think Tanks
FCLTGlobal is a non-profit organisation that develops actionable research and tools to drive long-term value creation for savers and communities. Its members include leading companies and investors worldwide, collaborating to promote sustainable and prosperous economies through long-term investment strategies.
Organisation
1 research item

Green Climate Fund (GCF)

Government Sponsored / Multilateral Organisations
Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a global fund established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to support developing countries in tackling climate change. It provides financing for mitigation and adaptation projects, focusing on low-emission, climate-resilient development. Funded by governments, GCF plays a key role in international climate finance.
Organisation

The big three and board gender diversity: The effectiveness of shareholder voice

The report analyses how campaigns by major institutional investors significantly boosted gender diversity on corporate boards. From 2017 to 2019, these initiatives increased female directorships by encouraging firms to broaden candidate searches and reduce the focus on executive experience, indicating impactful, non-tokenistic change.
Research
25 November 2020

Building sustainable business models in private banks: A pathway to a better future

World Wide Fund for Nature (World Wildlife Fund – WWF)
This report highlights the SPRING framework, aimed at integrating sustainability within private banking. It presents findings from a pilot study, emphasising the need for private banks to incorporate ESG in operations, improve risk management, foster governance, and engage clients on sustainability preferences. The report also provides actionable recommendations for private banks to drive positive environmental and social impact.
Research
31 May 2023

State of nature-related disclosures: Assessing TNFD alignment of nature-related disclosures by firms in high-risk sectors

First Sentier Investors
The report evaluates the alignment of firms' nature-related disclosures with the TNFD framework. It covers eight priority sectors, highlighting disclosure gaps and providing recommendations for improvement to ensure comprehensive, high-quality nature-related reporting.
Research
9 July 2024

Outsized impact: How investment can address the systemic risk of LGBTQIA+ inequality?

Colorful Capital
This report examines the systemic inequity faced by the LGBTQIA+ community in the US, highlighting its significant economic consequences. It provides evidence of the positive link between LGBTQIA+ inclusion and financial performance, and outlines a framework for investors to advance LGBTQIA+ equity through system-level investing.
Research
4 June 2024

Exploring the cooperative economy report 2023

World Cooperative Monitor
The 2023 World Cooperative Monitor Report provides rankings of the top 300 global cooperatives by turnover and GDP per capita. It highlights the economic impact and member benefits of cooperatives, offering insights into their performance, sustainability, and contribution to local communities and development goals.
Research
30 January 2024

Constructive corporate engagements: From a corporate perspective

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
This research focuses on constructive corporate engagement. This report analyses survey results from 100 senior company directors and interviews with ten executives to examine the drivers of successful engagements. Insights include the importance of collaborating with companies, focusing on material issues, and using standard metrics for success.
Research
8 September 2023

Education - learning for Life: Why enterprise L&D is the next frontier In global education

Citi
This report examines the growing importance of Learning & Development (L&D) programmes for businesses. It highlights the increasing recognition of L&D as a strategic investment, particularly for upskilling and reskilling employees to address the skills gap. The report also explores the challenges in L&D implementation, such as low employee engagement and vendor satisfaction, and offers insights into the future of corporate L&D, including trends in digitalisation and budget growth.
Research
10 November 2021

A roadmap for Australian investors: How to invest to achieve gender equity, racial equity, diversity and inclusion

Impact Investing Australia
This a guide to help investors achieve gender equity, racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. This report presents qualitative and quantitative analyses from surveys of key Australian impact investing actors, virtual interviews with identified key informants, and a focused narrative literature review of contemporary global gender lens investing practice.
Research
27 March 2022

Converging on climate lobbying: Aligning corporate practice with investor expectations

Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
This report details the importance of climate lobbying for the long-term interests of institutional investors. It covers recommendations for future engagement and case studies, and is primarily aimed at investment professionals. The report does not have any specific focus on discussing a list of companies, rather, it is an investor initiative that advocates for climate lobbying practices and investor expectations for companies globally.
Research
31 May 2018

Women in business leadership boost ESG performance: Existing body of evidence makes compelling case

International Finance Corporation
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.
Research
26 February 2020
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