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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The spectrum of worker participation in corporate governance

The Predistribution Initiative
This report explores diverse global models of worker participation in corporate governance. It finds that mandatory and exercisable rights drive higher engagement than voluntary systems. While established in Europe and growing in China, the technology sector remains an exception. Support spans the political spectrum and includes major institutional investors.
Research
29 October 2026

The quiet withdrawal: Human capital disclosure trends, 2022–2026

PeopleReturn
This report examines human capital disclosure trends among S&P 1500 companies from 2022 to 2026. It highlights a significant decline in demographic and board diversity reporting following the removal of regulatory requirements. While operational metrics remain stable, quantitative workforce data is increasingly being omitted from formal financial filings.
Research
8 September 2026

The impact of sustainability reporting on directors' ESG duties: The disclosure-duty feedback loop

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This research explores the "disclosure-duty feedback loop", where mandatory sustainability reporting reshapes corporate directors' legal duties. Analysing regimes in the United Kingdom, Singapore, the European Union, and the United States, the paper examines how reporting standards influence board oversight. It proposes reforms to clarify oversight obligations and liability protections.
Research
1 September 2026

Integrating climate into corporate finance: Global evidence on internal carbon pricing

This report analyses the determinants and effectiveness of internal carbon pricing (ICP) globally. It finds that smaller boards and science-based targets drive higher pricing. While ICP adoption reduces short-term profitability due to capital reallocation, it successfully slows emission growth, even as absolute emissions remain linked to production.
Research
25 February 2026

The governance of dual-class firms

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This research examines the governance of dual-class firms, documenting a significant rise in their prevalence among US initial public offerings between 2000 and 2025. It identifies that these structures are increasingly concentrated in founder-led, venture-backed technology companies, while empirical evidence suggests they do not necessarily lead to CEO entrenchment.
Research
1 September 2026

Legal liability vs. proportional representation: What works in improving poor investor protection?

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This research evaluates Korean governance reforms, comparing director legal liability with proportional representation. Findings indicate that markets react positively to increased director liability, especially for undervalued firms. Conversely, mandated proportional representation triggers negative reactions, as investors fear boardroom conflicts may hinder strategic decision-making and reduce board cohesion.
Research
18 May 2026

Fragmentation of shareholder power

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
This research examines how fund proliferation and stewardship decentralisation affect corporate governance. It finds that supply-driven growth weakens oversight, while demand-driven expansion by incumbents can strengthen it. Competitive adoption of pass-through voting improves investor preference alignment but often reduces monitoring incentives and firm value.
Research
20 June 2026

Five differentiators of outperforming family-owned businesses in India

McKinsey & Company
McKinsey analysed about 300 publicly listed Indian family-owned businesses to identify five differentiators of top performers: core operational excellence, effective generational transition, portfolio diversification, talent and culture, and robust governance. FOBs contribute more than 75 percent of India's GDP and outperform non-family-owned businesses on revenue growth and shareholder returns.
Research
2 August 2024

AI corporate governance and Ben & Jerry’s risk

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This report analyses the governance structures of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Ben & Jerry’s. It examines the risks of appointing independent guardians to prioritise social missions over shareholder profits. The findings highlight how fully insulated guardians can harm investors and undermine their own missions without proper accountability mechanisms.
Research
3 May 2026

Legal form and corporate outcomes: Evidence from the societas europaea

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
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.
Research
3 May 2026

The Asset Owner Directory

Top1000funds.com
The Top1000funds.com Asset Owner Directory is an interactive database of global asset owners. It provides publicly sourced information on key personnel, asset allocation and performance, alongside an archive of related articles covering investors’ strategy, governance and investment decisions.
Online tool/database

Mandatory climate reporting in Australia: A practical guide for 2026

Altiorem
Australia’s mandatory climate reporting regime began implementation from 2025, aligned with ISSB IFRS S2 standards. This guide explains regulatory expectations, governance responsibilities, emissions data requirements and practical steps organisations should take in 2026 to establish compliant climate disclosures, integrate climate risks into financial reporting, and prepare for assurance and regulatory scrutiny.
Research
11 March 2026

Women’s equality in the workplace series

Equileap
The Gender Equality Report & Ranking is an annual benchmark series, first launched in 2017, that assesses corporate gender equality across publicly listed companies using Equileap’s proprietary scorecard. It enables investors and finance professionals to compare company performance, monitor progress and incorporate gender equality considerations into investment analysis.
Benchmark/series
12 March 2026

Free Float Analytics

Free Float Analytics
Free Float Analytics provides a global dataset ranking board directors and management by influence and performance across publicly traded companies, using proprietary metrics drawn from social science and analytics. It supports institutional investors and advisors in evaluating governance dynamics and proxy decisions, without offering investment advice.
Online tool/database

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Issue Focused NGOs & Think Tanks
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation providing protection and assistance to people affected by armed conflict. It promotes international humanitarian law, conducts emergency relief operations, and supports detainees, civilians, and missing persons worldwide through neutral, impartial action, with global reach and sustained operational presence.
Organisation
1 research item

Navigating the corporate ego: Understanding the association between ESG performance and organizational narcissistic rhetoric

This study analyses 1,659 FTSE 350 observations to explore the link between ESG performance and organisational narcissistic rhetoric. Findings indicate that high ESG performance correlates with increased self-promoting language, though greater board gender diversity mitigates this effect. Additionally, strong financial results are positively associated with narcissistic corporate narratives.
Research
14 July 2025
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