Library | ESG issues

Environmental

The environmental pillar in ESG (environmental, social, and governance) assesses an organisation’s impact on the planet. It includes issues such as climate change, biodiversity, waste management and water management. Strong environmental practices help businesses reduce risks, comply with regulations, and drive long-term sustainability.

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The economics of water: Valuing the hydrological cycle as a global common good

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
The report argues the hydrological cycle should be governed as a global common good, with water valued more accurately and managed for efficiency, equity and environmental sustainability, supported by five missions spanning food systems, ecosystems, circular water use, lower water-intensity industry, and universal safe water access. The report is produced by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, supported by the OECD.
Research
21 November 2024

100 million farmers: Breakthrough models for financing a sustainability transition

World Economic Forum
Report proposes financing and collaboration models to accelerate adoption of regenerative agriculture. It identifies economic, technical and social barriers farmers face and outlines coordinated mechanisms—combining ecosystem-service monetisation, blended capital and multi-actor partnerships—to scale sustainable food production and support farmers’ transition.
Research
9 January 2024

Breaking down silos: Navigating the intersection of environmental and social risks for investors

University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)
Examines how environmental and social risks interact to create compounding financial impacts for investors. Presents a systems-based framework and agrifood case study illustrating portfolio volatility, credit risk and supply disruptions. Recommends integrated risk assessment, value-chain finance, stewardship and blended finance to strengthen portfolio resilience.
Research
4 March 2026

ASRS first year has landed: Here's what we’re seeing in the market

This article examines how Australian organisations are approaching the first year of mandatory ASRS climate disclosures. It highlights common implementation patterns, areas of misallocated effort, and emerging practices that prioritise financially material, decision-useful climate reporting.
Article
16 March 2026

The EAT-Lancet Commission on healthy, sustainable, and just food systems

The Lancet
This report assesses how transforming global food systems can improve health, sustainability, and equity. It updates evidence on the planetary health diet, quantifies food systems’ pressures on planetary boundaries, and analyses justice in food access and production, recommending coordinated policy, dietary shifts, and sustainable agricultural practices to support healthy diets within environmental limits.
Research
11 October 2025

A method to identify positive tipping points to accelerate low-carbon transitions and actions to trigger them

The report proposes a methodology to identify “positive tipping points” that can accelerate low-carbon transitions. It outlines a framework to assess their likelihood, drivers and proximity, and identifies actions that could trigger self-reinforcing decarbonisation processes to help achieve Paris Agreement climate goals.
Research
7 August 2025

Science in the courtroom: Evidentiary needs in climate litigation

Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
This guide outlines how climate science evidence is used in climate litigation. It explains evidentiary standards, types of scientific evidence and litigation strategies, and provides guidance for courts and litigants on presenting and assessing climate science to support legal claims related to climate change impacts and responsibility.
Research
10 March 2026

Emissions gap report series

United Nations Environment Programme
UNEP's annual assessment of the gap between countries' climate pledges and emission reductions needed to meet the Paris Agreement's temperature goals, with 2025 focus on new NDCs and 2035 targets.
Benchmark/series
1 January 2025

Climate-related risks and opportunities and the disclosure of material information

Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB)
This educational material explains how entities apply AASB S2 to identify and disclose material information on climate-related risks and opportunities affecting cash flows, access to finance and cost of capital. It outlines concepts such as value chains, dependencies and impacts, and provides a four-step process for assessing and reporting material climate-related information.
Research
4 March 2026

The slow forces behind this year’s fast crises

The article argues that today’s rapid global crises (political, ecological, and social) are the visible outcomes of long-building systemic pressures. Using complexity science and systemic risk analysis, it highlights how understanding these deep drivers can help societies both anticipate crises and accelerate positive, transformative change.
Article
11 March 2026

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

Investing in nature: Navigating the landscape with Handprint’s nature tech ecosystem map V.4

Handprint
The report maps the emerging nature-tech ecosystem, grouping participants into frontliners, builders and enablers, and highlights version 4 updates: 62 new organisations and three new categories—paradigm shifters, regulatory and compliance, and payment for ecosystem services.
Research
29 November 2023

Singapore-Asia taxonomy for sustainable finance

Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
The report outlines the Singapore-Asia Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance, a science-based classification framework defining green, transition (amber) and ineligible economic activities. It provides technical screening criteria—primarily for climate change mitigation—to guide financial institutions, investors and policymakers in directing capital towards environmentally sustainable and low-carbon transition activities across Singapore and ASEAN.
Research
29 December 2023

Kicking away the green ladder: The asymmetric sovereign risk from nature degradation

Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
This working paper analyses how nature and biodiversity degradation affect sovereign borrowing costs. Using panel econometric models across 53 countries (2000–2020), it finds biodiversity loss raises bond yield spreads, with effects up to three times larger for higher-risk, often lower-income countries, indicating asymmetric sovereign risk from nature-related financial vulnerability.
Research
6 March 2026

Finance, nature and food systems: Consumers choosing sustainable food systems in Brazil

NatureFinance
This report analyses Brazilian food consumption behaviours and tests nudging strategies in online shopping to promote sustainable diets. Findings indicate plant-rich diets, reduced food waste and improved labelling could lower food-system emissions. The study recommends combining consumer nudges, education and policy measures to support sustainable food choices and environmental outcomes.
Research
22 September 2022

Disentangling materiality and climate reporting

This article explains how the concept of materiality applies in AASB S2 climate disclosures and why it is often misunderstood. It distinguishes between material information, climate risks, emissions reporting, and ESG double materiality assessments, offering practical guidance for preparing compliant climate reports.
Article
10 March 2026
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