Library | ESG issues
Climate Change
Climate change, driven by human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is increasing global temperatures and extreme weather events. Major GHGs like carbon dioxide and methane primarily come from burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and agriculture. Key sectors contributing to emissions include energy, industry, transport, buildings, and land use, making mitigation and adaptation essential for environmental and economic stability.
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Climate endgame: Exploring catastrophic climate change scenarios
This report explores the potential for worldwide societal collapse and human extinction due to anthropogenic climate change. It argues that this topic has not been given enough consideration despite existing evidence of catastrophic outcomes. The proposed research agenda seeks to understand the likelihood and mechanisms of such events and their implications for policy.
Acute climate risks in the financial system: Examining the utility of climate model projections
This research examines the effectiveness of global mean temperature projections as a tool for identifying acute climate risks to the financial sector. The study highlights the limitations of current 'top-down' approaches and recommends the use of more granular 'bottom-up' methods to more accurately estimate regional-level financial risks.
Rethinking impact to finance the SDGs
This paper examines the financing gap for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and proposes new innovative solutions for stakeholders, including the need for stronger integrated planning, strategic thinking and policy integration to meet the US$5-7tn annual financing requirement.
Navigating the reporting landscape
This guide provides an introduction to sustainability-related reporting for finance professionals. It covers mandatory reporting requirements and reporting frameworks, as well as key reporting components for sustainability. The guide also explores recent developments in reporting standards and the accounting profession, highlighting the future of corporate reporting.
Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries
Six of nine planetary boundaries are exceeding safe thresholds, with ocean acidification and aerosol loading at tipping points. Maintaining functional biosphere integrity requires controlling human appropriation of net primary production. Earth system modelling illustrates the need to consider anthropogenic impacts on Earth in a systemic way.
Shareholder primacy: The main barrier to sustainable companies
This report analyses the role of company law in achieving sustainable development, focusing on the dominance of shareholder primacy and its impact on corporate decision-making. It evaluates barriers to integrating sustainability, and provides possible ways forward. An essential comparative analysis for academics and professionals interested in promoting sustainable business practices.
Central banking and supervision in the biosphere: An agenda for action on biodiversity loss, financial risk and system stability
This report explores the role central banks and financial regulators can play to mitigate biodiversity loss risks. The report establishes that biodiversity loss poses a financial risk to the economy and makes recommendations for action.
Social tipping dynamics for stabilizing Earth’s climate by 2050
This report identifies the key actors capable of rapidly decarbonising industry, society, and economy, suggesting six social tipping elements to stabilise Earth's climate by 2050. The research provides social tipping elements candidates with their associated social tipping interventions and estimated time for triggering tipping.
Guidance and case studies for ESG integration: Equities and fixed income
The CFA Institute and Principles for Responsible Investment commissioned a survey on ESG integration, revealing that 56% of investors integrate governance into their equity analysis. Analysts may engage in ESG in fixed-income analysis to evaluate the risks and value of assets. ESG issues help investors arrive at estimates of fair stock value.
A4S essential guide to incentivizing action along the value chain
This is a practical guide for finance teams to collaborate with their value chains and promote sustainability. The guide delves into mapping the value chain, prioritising areas of action, incentivising action, and provides useful tips, resources, and a checklist.
Right direction, wrong equipment: Why transition risks do not fit into regulatory stress tests
The authors of this report explore the challenges of integrating climate-related risks into regulatory stress tests. They demonstrate that supervisory risk assessment frameworks struggle to capture long-term systemic risks, and offer recommendations for developing a 'long-term risk;' supervision 'infrastructure.'
The role of local narratives in emerging climate governance
This report examines how local climate narratives are shaped by the history, power dynamics, needs, and priorities of a region. The report analyses the case of Miami-Dade County, Florida, an early adopter of climate policies that faces inequity and worsening climate impacts, to understand how local narratives influence climate governance.
The biomass blind spot
This report highlights the financial and reputational risks associated with the biomass power sector's impact on climate change. The report provides recommendations for investors and banks engaged with the sector, including not providing financial support for new biomass power infrastructure.
A little less conversation, a little more action: 10 lessons learned from 10 years of helping investors to tackle climate
This report presents 10 lessons for investors on tackling climate change. Through this summary, the authors offer insights on methodologies for climate scenario analysis, the intersection of reporting and acting, an effective climate voting process, the role of regulators in transparent carbon neutral investments, among other topics.
Sustainable finance forum: Legal opinion 2019
This report, and legal opinion, lays out the current legal obligations on directors of New Zealand companies and retail managed investment schemes to address climate risks. It finds that these obligations are evolving and expanding, driven by the growing recognition of the material financial risk climate change presents for businesses.
Retiring oil and gas assets will have long-term financial and environmental impacts
Ageing oil and gas assets will have significant long-term financial and environmental impacts, with decommissioning costs rising steadily in coming decades. Asset retirement obligations could reach US$42 billion by 2024, posing considerable financial, logistical, and environmental challenges given limited financial assurance requirements, regulatory loopholes, and the complexity of decommissioning.
