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 circular advantage: Unlocking innovation, environmental resilience, productivity and net zero opportunities through a uniquely Australian circular economy transition

Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group (CEMAG)
The report the Circular Advantage outlines how Australia can harness a circular economy to drive innovation, productivity, and progress towards net zero. It recommends a National Circular Economy Policy Framework, harmonised regulations, sustainable finance integration, and collaboration with First Nations peoples, industries, and communities to build resilience and long-term economic opportunities.
Research
17 December 2024

Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group (CEMAG)

Government Organisations & Departments
Circular Economy Ministerial Advisory Group (CEMAG) advises the Australian Government on accelerating the transition to a circular economy. Established in February 2023, it delivered a final report in December 2024 with 14 core and 12 sector-specific recommendations covering built environment, food, agriculture, resources and water.
Organisation
1 research item

Assessing the materiality of nature-related financial risks for the UK

Green Finance Institute
The report, Assessing the Materiality of Nature-Related Financial Risks for the UK (April 2024), quantifies how biodiversity loss and environmental degradation could materially affect the UK economy and finance sector. It finds nature-related risks—especially from water scarcity, soil decline, and biodiversity loss—could reduce GDP by up to 12% by the 2030s, exceeding impacts from the Global Financial Crisis or COVID-19.
Research
26 April 2024

Environmental Change Institute (ECI), University of Oxford

Environmental Change Institute (ECI) at University of Oxford conducts interdisciplinary research on climate change, ecosystems, energy systems, food and water security, and sustainable governance. Established in 1991, ECI collaborates with governments, business and communities to inform policy and training in environmental leadership.
Organisation
1 research item

United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)

Government Sponsored / Multilateral Organisations
UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) is a global centre of excellence for biodiversity and nature’s contribution to society and the economy. It works at the intersection of science, policy and practice to deliver data-driven insights, tools and partnerships that support nature-positive outcomes and informed decision-making.
Organisation
1 research item

Threat of mining to African great apes

The study assesses the impact of industrial mining on African great apes, revealing that up to one-third of the population about 180,000 individuals faces direct or indirect mining-related threats. West Africa is most affected, with limited habitat protection and minimal survey data, underscoring urgent needs for transparent environmental monitoring.
Research
3 April 2024

Greenwashing, net-zero, and the oil sands in Canada: The case of Pathways Alliance

This article analyses how Canada’s Pathways Alliance representing 95 % of oil sands output frames its net-zero commitments. Reviewing 183 public communications, it finds widespread indicators of greenwashing, including selective disclosure, unverifiable claims, and poor accountability. The study urges broader scrutiny of coordinated industry communication across digital and public relations platforms.
Research
10 June 2024

The business guide to advancing climate justice

B Lab
This 2024 guide, produced by Forum for the Future and B Lab, outlines how businesses can embed climate justice into strategy and operations. It defines principles for equitable community partnerships, offers practical frameworks across internal systems and supply chains, and emphasises trust-building, accountability, and regenerative, long-term collaboration.
Research
22 April 2024

Forum for the Future

Finance / Corporate Focused NGOs & Think Tanks
Forum for the Future is a global sustainability organisation collaborating with business, governments and civil society to accelerate transitions in food, energy and the purpose of business. Founded in 1996, the organisation applies futures thinking and systems change to support a just and regenerative future for people and planet.
Organisation
1 research item

Sustainable Finance Roundup October 2025: Carbon Markets, Targets, and the Cost of Resilience

This month’s sustainability roundup traces a rapidly evolving landscape in climate finance and accountability, spotlighting the weaknesses exposed by Hurricane Melissa’s disaster-risk finance system alongside new policy frameworks now reshaping sustainable investment. It highlights how vulnerable nations continue to bear the costs of climate impacts, how regulatory reforms such as Australia’s 2035 emissions target and global disclosure regimes are embedding accountability, and how renewed scrutiny of carbon markets is driving the search for credible, incentive-based pathways to real decarbonisation.
Article
3 November 2025

System of environmental-economic accounting ecosystem accounting series

United Nations (UN)
The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) is an international benchmark series that integrates economic and environmental data to measure the interdependence between nature and the economy. It provides a consistent statistical framework for assessing natural assets, ecosystem services, and environmental impacts to support sustainable policy and decision-making across nations.
Benchmark/series

Climate Action 100+

Finance Industry Groups
Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) is an investor-led initiative engaging the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters to advance climate governance, set science-based emission targets and enhance climate-related disclosures. It collaborates with global investor networks to promote net-zero alignment, transition risk management and sustainable asset value preservation.
Organisation
1 research item

Transition Pathway Initiative

Transition Pathway Initiative
Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) is an investor-led initiative providing publicly accessible data and assessments on how companies, banks and sovereigns are managing and aligning with the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Online tool/database

Translating to action: Net zero investment in Asia

Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC)
The Asia Investor Group on Climate Change (AIGCC)’s fourth annual report surveys Asian investors managing USD 7.9 trillion to assess their progress on net-zero investment strategies. It highlights growing commitments to emissions measurement, climate solutions, and stewardship, while identifying data gaps, limited policy clarity, and inconsistent methodologies as persistent barriers.
Research
1 December 2022

State of climate action benchmark series

World Resources Institute
The State of Climate Action benchmark series tracks global progress toward limiting warming to 1.5°C. Produced by Systems Change Lab and partner organisations, it translates the Paris Agreement into measurable sectoral targets and indicators, offering an annual assessment of the pace and scale of climate action across major emitting sectors and finance systems.
Benchmark/series

Climate High‑Level Champions

Government Sponsored / Multilateral Organisations
Climate Champions is a global initiative advising the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) High-Level Champions and mobilising non-state actors in campaigns such as Race to Zero and Race to Resilience to drive net-zero emissions, resilient infrastructure and sustainable finance.
Organisation
1 research item
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