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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Exploring guarantees for resilient and low-carbon cities: Part 2: De-risking urban climate finance series
This report examines how guarantees can unlock private climate finance for cities. It identifies barriers to uptake in emerging markets, such as high costs and complex structures. Proposed solutions include strengthening governance, standardising products, and expanding regional facilities to mobilise the USD 4.3 trillion required annually by 2030.
Mapping the landscape of net-zero nature-positive finance: A review of definitions and frameworks
This report provides a comprehensive review of definitions and frameworks for net-zero, nature-positive, and climate-nature finance. It identifies alignment areas and implementation gaps, advocating for integrated risk and investment approaches to achieve global sustainability goals under the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Connecting capital within African agrifood systems: Lessons from a decade of practice
This report examines the structural misalignment between investors and agribusinesses in African agrifood systems. It highlights that while annual climate finance reached USD 7.8 billion, it falls short of the USD 1.1 trillion global requirement. Recommendations focus on improving technical assistance and intermediation to mobilise capital effectively.
Environmental claims, climate promises, and ‘greenwashing’ by meat and dairy companies
This research examines environmental claims from 33 major meat and dairy companies. It finds that 98% of 1,233 identified claims constitute greenwashing. While most claims are climate-related, many are unverifiable future promises lacking scientific evidence. The industry’s sustainability reporting often mimics tactics used by the fossil fuel sector.
The price of gas: The hidden costs of European banks’ support for gas power expansion
This report examines how 24 European banks provided US$41.9 billion to gas power developers between 2021 and 2024. It highlights significant health impacts, including nearly 3,000 premature deaths in Europe, and warns that expanding gas infrastructure undermines global climate targets and exposes economies to price volatility.
Insurers' resilience toolkit: A practical taxonomy of climate adaptation and resilience measures
This research provides a practical taxonomy for the insurance sector to advance climate adaptation and resilience. Analysing over 200 measures, it highlights structural barriers and enabling conditions for scaling initiatives. The report advocates for a shift from post-event compensation towards proactive risk reduction and long-term stakeholder engagement.
Tropical rainforest loss slowed in 2025, but fire is a growing threat to forests worldwide
Global tropical primary forest loss decreased 36% in 2025, though 4.3 million hectares were destroyed. Significant policy-driven reductions occurred in Brazil, but global deforestation remains 70% above levels required for 2030 targets. Fires drove 42% of global tree cover loss, with severe impacts in Canada and Europe.
Just transition metrics benchmark
Just Transition Metrics is a benchmark series developed by Shift in collaboration with multiple organisations. It provides a foundational, sector-agnostic set of quantitative metrics designed to assess the 'justness' of companies' climate-related transition plans, covering workforce, communities, and value chain impacts.
Sector insights: Real estate series
Sustainable Fitch Sector Insights Report Series is a series providing analytical assessments of the sustainability profiles of different sectors. It examines sustainability impacts, ESG rating trends, sustainable finance developments, sector-specific issues, and relevant sustainability-related regulations to support finance professionals’ understanding of sector performance.
A well-adapted UK: The fourth independent assessment of UK climate risk (CCRA4-IA)
This report assesses the UK’s climate risks to 2050, identifies priority adaptation actions across key sectors, and outlines investment, policy and governance measures to strengthen resilience. It provides evidence-based recommendations to support climate adaptation planning and reduce long-term economic and societal impacts.
Scientific Climate Ratings
Scientific Climate Ratings delivers forward-looking, science-based climate risk ratings quantifying financial materiality of physical and transition risks for infrastructure assets globally.
Transition Acceleration Framework (TAF)
TAF is a forward-looking analytical framework by Rhodium Group that evaluates where climate investment and policy will accelerate decarbonisation.
Guidance on integrating deforestation into net zero strategies
This IIGCC guidance supports institutional investors in integrating deforestation, land conversion, and associated human rights risks into net zero strategies. Aligned with the Net Zero Investment Framework 2.0, it provides practical, asset class-specific action points across listed equity, sovereign bonds, real estate, and private equity and debt.
Using scenario analysis for future resilience: Top tips for pension fund chairs and trustees
This guide from Accounting for Sustainability supports pension fund chairs and trustees to move beyond simplified climate scenario analysis. It outlines the limitations of current models, provides practical examples from USS, NBIM and APG, and offers six actionable tips to embed scenario insights into strategic decision making.
Carbon tariffs, emissions leakage, and production relocation
This paper examines whether carbon tariffs prevent emissions leakage from firm relocation in a North-South duopoly model. It finds that carbon tariffs combined with export rebates form the optimal carbon tax regime, preventing leakage when the northern firm's emissions intensity exceeds fifty percent of the southern firm's, and can benefit both countries.
From climate crisis to insurance crisis: Designing solidarity-based natural disaster insurance
This report examines rising climate-related insurance losses and Germany's lack of comprehensive natural disaster coverage, with only 57% of residential buildings insured against such risks. It analyses international public-private insurance models — particularly France's CatNat system — and recommends a solidarity-based approach alongside measures to hold the fossil fuel industry financially accountable.
