Library | ESG issues
Buildings & Infrastructure
Buildings and infrastructure include physical structures and systems such as commercial buildings, roads, and energy networks. Sustainable infrastructure focuses on optimising and retrofitting existing assets while developing new ones that integrate environmental stewardship, social equity, and sustainable design. Investing in infrastructure can support sustainable development and ensure that all people have access to safe, affordable, reliable, and high-quality infrastructure.
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Property insurance and disaster risk: New evidence from mortgage escrow data
This report analyses homeowners insurance premiums using mortgage escrow data from 2014 to 2024. It documents rapid premium increases and a doubling of the risk-to-premium gradient, driven by global reinsurance costs. These rising costs have significant impacts on home values, particularly in areas facing high climate risk.
Nature-related risks and the Australian real estate sector – one step forward, two steps back?
This exploratory study analyses how ten major Australian real estate companies disclose and manage nature-related financial risks. It finds low engagement and nascent practices, with many companies winding back initial commitments. The authors suggest that mandatory standards and policy reforms are essential to drive significant corporate action on biodiversity loss.
Castles & cars: Savings in the suburbs through electrifying everything technical study
This report examines the potential for Australian households to achieve significant financial savings through total electrification. It highlights that by 2030, average families could save up to $6,000 annually. The analysis stresses the importance of rapid technology adoption and policy intervention to eliminate domestic fossil fuel emissions.
Electrify 2515 community pilot: Lessons learnt report no. 1: August 2024 – November 2024
This report details the initial phase of the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot, highlighting strong recruitment driven by community engagement. Key findings include the need for simplified terminology, such as "smart energy devices," and the necessity for specialised installer training to navigate complex retrofitting challenges and variable market pricing.
Bridging the gap: the opportunity for Australian pension capital in the UK and Europe
1. Review asset growth projections.
2. Extract UK/EU investment data.
3. Summarise infrastructure opportunities.
4. Identify policy recommendations.
Australian pension assets are projected to reach A$8.3 trillion by 2035. With A$264 billion already invested in the UK and EU, these funds are positioned to help close multi-trillion-dollar capital gaps through infrastructure partnerships and strategic regulatory reforms.
2. Extract UK/EU investment data.
3. Summarise infrastructure opportunities.
4. Identify policy recommendations.
Australian pension assets are projected to reach A$8.3 trillion by 2035. With A$264 billion already invested in the UK and EU, these funds are positioned to help close multi-trillion-dollar capital gaps through infrastructure partnerships and strategic regulatory reforms.
We plan and then don't build
This Nexa Advisory report analyses chronic delays in Australia’s transmission buildout, which threaten climate targets and system reliability. It identifies regulatory barriers, national planning gaps, and social licence challenges as primary roadblocks. The document recommends funding benefit gaps, improving national coordination, and enhancing community engagement to accelerate project delivery.
Supercharging transmission buildout
Nexa Advisory examines regulatory barriers hindering Australia’s transmission expansion. The report argues the existing Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission (RIT-T) lacks accountability, causing significant delays. It recommends declaring "Critical National Projects" to streamline delivery, ensuring power system reliability and lower costs for consumers during the clean energy transition.
Submission to the Australian Energy Regulator: Network resilience guidelines
The Investor Group on Climate Change provides feedback on the Australian Energy Regulator’s proposed Network Resilience Guidelines. The submission recommends standardising financial assessments, integrating climate science, and considering community vulnerability. It advocates for flexible adaptation pathways and extending resilience definitions to include chronic climate risks and transmission networks.
2026 Electricity statement of opportunities for the National Electricity Market
The 2026 Electricity Statement of Opportunities provides a 10-year reliability outlook for Australia’s National Electricity Market. It examines emerging supply scarcity risks as 13 GW of coal generation retires, detailing the critical roles of electrification, data centre expansion, consumer energy resources, and government-supported infrastructure programmes in maintaining system reliability.
Quarterly investment report: Large-scale renewable generation and storage Q4 2025
This report analyses Australia's large-scale renewable energy sector in Q4 2025, detailing a significant investment rebound. It highlights record-breaking commissioning outcomes for generation and storage projects. Despite strong quarterly performance, annual investment totals remain below 2024 levels, with the report identifying ongoing planning and infrastructure challenges as key hurdles.
Climate Adaptation Investment Framework
The Climate Adaptation Investment Framework identifies six building blocks to help governments mobilise public and private finance for climate resilience. It addresses the gap between tens of billions in current flows and the hundreds of billions needed annually, offering guidance on regulation, strategic planning, and sustainable finance tools.
Data centre sustainability and resilience: A decision playbook for AI infrastructure
Planned summarisation: 1. Review document structure. 2. Identify key findings. 3. Summarise constraints and principles. 4. Verify UK English and word count. This report provides a decision framework for scaling AI infrastructure sustainably. It identifies six strategic constraints—including electricity, water, and community acceptance—shaping data centre viability. The playbook offers universal principles, metrics, and market profiles to help stakeholders align investment with long-term resilience, potentially unlocking $1 trillion in investment by 2030.
The resilience spread: How climate change is reshaping regional economies
This report analyses 426 global cities to define the "resilience spread" between economic capacity and climate risk. It finds that climate pressures currently impact 30% of cities negatively and could erode USD 2.5 trillion in global productivity by 2100 without significant adaptation investment.
Too hot to grow: The economic costs of extreme heat
This Allianz Research report examines the economic impact of extreme heat, highlighting a sevenfold increase in heat stress events since the 1980s. It details non-linear productivity losses above 30°C, stagflationary macroeconomic risks, and significant fiscal burdens, proposing a three-pillar adaptation plan to improve labour, infrastructure, and financial resilience.
Traditional ecological knowledge for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Fiji
This report examines Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in Fiji as a cost-effective, sustainable tool for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. It details how the iTaukei people use traditional housing, food preservation, and early warning systems to enhance community resilience against cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels.
An update on the potential impacts of subsidizing transmission in the United States
This report evaluates the impact of transmission investment tax credits on the United States power grid. Under high load growth, these credits reduce annual system costs by up to $1.17 billion and lower emissions. Conversely, in low-growth scenarios, benefits are limited and may modestly increase emissions.