This series explores how corporate cash and investments drive substantial carbon emissions through the financial system. It highlights the overlooked climate impact of cash held by corporations and offers insights for companies aiming to decarbonise their financial practices. The series provides guidance to help organisations align their financial management with climate goals, enabling proactive, systemic climate action.

This series offers insights into Australia’s climate changes based on comprehensive research from the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO. Each report synthesises data on climate trends, impacts, and projections, guiding informed decision-making for sustainable environmental and economic resilience.

This report investigates whether green investors influence corporate carbon emissions by either divesting from polluters or engaging with management through stock ownership. The findings suggest green investors significantly reduce emissions through active engagement, whereas divestment strategies may counterproductively increase emissions. The report highlights private markets’ potential to address environmental issues independently of government regulation.

This discussion paper explores the importance of scope 3 emissions in corporate climate targets. It discusses challenges in current scope 3 target-setting practices, potential solutions, and strategies for decarbonising value chains. The report aims to enhance corporate climate action, aligning businesses with global climate goals while promoting stakeholder engagement for future standards.

Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) helps organisations set and achieve science-based emissions reduction targets to meet global climate goals. SBTi provides guidance, resources, and validation to ensure targets align with the Paris Agreement. It is a key platform for businesses seeking credible, measurable progress towards net-zero emissions and sustainability.

The Climate Action Tracker tool evaluates and tracks government climate actions against the Paris Agreement targets, providing insights into policy effectiveness. It offers finance professionals data-driven analysis to assess climate risks and opportunities, supporting informed investment decisions aligned with global sustainability goals.

The resource Centre digital platform by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) monitors companies on news and allegations of human rights issues. It helps finance professionals assess corporate performance on human rights, providing insights into risks and compliance. The platform offers up-to-date data on human rights practices across various industries.

This study explores how corporate climate change mitigation actions influence the cost of capital for Japanese firms from 2017-2021. It finds that higher carbon intensity increases the cost of equity, debt, and overall capital. Climate-related disclosures lower the cost of equity and overall capital, despite raising debt costs.

The database of Asian mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in high-emission sectors reveals a steady, not increasing, trend from 2020 to April 2024. This shift of high-emission assets from public to private ownership, totalling USD 5-9 billion annually, raises concerns about reduced transparency and accountability in emissions reporting. While not accelerating, this trend has negative implications for investor stewardship and emissions disclosure.

Big oil and gas companies’ climate pledges lack ambition and integrity, resulting in continued exploration and extraction. They fail to align with the Paris Agreement, relying on misleading accounting and greenwashing. Immediate action from governments and investors is essential to catalyse a socially just and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels.

Climate TRACE is a comprehensive tool for tracking global greenhouse gas emissions. Utilising satellite data and AI, it provides real-time insights, helping finance professionals assess environmental impacts and make informed decisions. This tool supports ESG integration and sustainability in financial practices.

Energy Transition Risk and Opportunities Initiative (ET Risk) provides finance professionals with tools to assess energy transition risks and opportunities. The project focuses on sustainable finance, ESG impacts, and climate change, helping users make informed investment decisions.

Future Focus is an organisation dedicated to fostering sustainable development and innovation. They offer comprehensive research, insights, and solutions to address global challenges. With a focus on education, environment, and community, Future Focus aims to drive positive change and support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through impactful initiatives and collaborations.

The report outlines Asia's challenges to decarbonising energy while driving economic development. It suggests there is significant room for improvement among regional banks and to achieve their commitments to the Paris Agreement, firms need to implement more stringent sustainable finance policies.

The expected return of green securities relative to brown is a crucial impact measure for ESG investors, and the greenium is more negative in greener countries and over time. The equity greenium has become more negative over time. The proposed robust green score combined with forward-looking expected returns yields a more precisely estimated annual equity greenium.

This 2024 framework of four principles and guidance for organisations and standard bodies involved in offsetting practices. The revised principles emphasise the need for urgency in the reduction of emissions and the closing of the carbon removal gap, while maintaining transparency and integrity in all projects.