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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Climate emergency – tipping the odds in our favour: A climate-change policy briefing for COP27
This paper is a policy briefing for COP27 which presents potential solutions for stabilizing the climate, assessing the level of risk inherent in the current approach to climate change, and explores how society can accelerate climate action. It uses a risk-management approach to assess how climate change is being managed.
Facilitating a circular economy for textiles workshop report
This report provides insights on the current status of circularity in the textile industry including waste generation, social and environmental impact, raw material use, and data challenges. The report highlights research needs, boundary-spanning tools, and standards to facilitate a circular economy.
Electric vehicle fleets: An impact opportunity for investors
This report makes the case for electric vehicle fleets as an important opportunity for investors. It outlines the potential financial incentives, risks and benefits, and impact on the environment, economy, and society. The report also includes recommendations for investor engagement with EV adoption.
The U.S. power sector and climate policy
This reports on the 25 largest Investor-Owned Utilities' engagement with climate policy in the US highlights a sector that is fragmented in terms of climate policy. It identifies Edison International, Exelon Corporation, and Public Service Enterprise Company as the leading utilities, and Southern Company and CenterPoint Energy as the laggards.
Dhawura Ngilan: A vision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage in Australia
Dhawura Ngilan (Remembering Country) is a vision statement outlining aspirations for the protection, preservation, and celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage in Australia. The report emphasises the importance of Indigenous communities' involvement in heritage management and calls for consistent policies and legislation across jurisdictions.
Decarbonising cement: The role of institutional investors
This report outlines why cement production is carbon-intensive and provides pathways for decarbonisation. A 60% reduction in emissions by 2050 is required to limit temperature increases to 1.75°C. Institutional investors need to engage with cement companies and cut off funding for carbon-intensive infrastructure to mitigate climate-related risks.
The debt-fossil fuel trap: Why debt is a barrier to fossil fuel phase-out and what we can do about it
This paper explores the links between indebtedness and fossil fuel exploitation in developing countries. The briefing concludes with recommendations for achieving debt justice, preserving the environment, and tackling climate change.
Clean energy negotiations guide for First Nations
This guidebook provides insights for First Nations communities in Australia to negotiate clean energy projects with companies seeking to establish projects on their land. The guide covers steps to prepare, the unity of representation, access to expert advice, negotiations, and the benefits and opportunities for First Nations people.
Connecting the dots: Energy transition scenarios and credit quality
This report explores the implications of climate transition scenarios for the credit quality of nine companies in power utilities, cement, and steel. It shows the potential credit consequences of failing to mitigate risks and grasp opportunities associated with the low-carbon transition. The study highlights the value of granular scenario analysis for investors.
Making change: What works?
This paper investigates to understand what makes social movements successful in creating change. The report concludes that having more and better evidence is crucial to encourage change, but evidence alone will not secure change. Instead, social movements must change the hearts and minds of the public and increase the power of those who stand to benefit from change.
Converging on climate lobbying: Aligning corporate practice with investor expectations
This report details the importance of climate lobbying for the long-term interests of institutional investors. It covers recommendations for future engagement and case studies, and is primarily aimed at investment professionals. The report does not have any specific focus on discussing a list of companies, rather, it is an investor initiative that advocates for climate lobbying practices and investor expectations for companies globally.
Chapter Zero New Zealand Board Toolkit
This toolkit is published to provide tools, support, and encouragement to prioritise climate change on boards and within organisations. The resource outlines 5 steps to ensure boards are well-equipped to address climate change, with relevant industry sector case studies.
Who cares wins: Connecting financial markets to a changing world
The report outlines recommendations by leading financial institutions for integrating environmental, social, and governance factors in financial analysis and investment decisions. Produced under the auspices of the United Nations Global Compact, this report reflects the commitment to corporate responsibility and sustainable development by twenty endorsing institutions.
Primer on climate change: Directors’ duties and disclosure obligations
This report provides an overview of contemporary evidence that climate change presents foreseeable, and in many cases material, financial and systemic risks that affect corporations and their investors. It discusses general climate obligations, directors' duties, disclosure obligations, and advice to directors, emphasising the importance of embedding climate change in financial risk management, disclosure, and supervisory practices.
Geopolitics of the energy transition: Critical materials
This paper explores strategic approaches for ensuring a sustainable energy transition by investigating the geopolitical aspects of critical materials including their supply chain, responsible efficiency, emergence of new technologies, their impact on labour rights, as well as suggesting ways to mitigate their risks and boost cooperation between countries.
Impacts of climate litigation on firm value
This report examines the financial effects of climate litigation on firms. The study used a new dataset and found that climate litigation has a modest negative impact on firms' stock prices. The bulk of the corporate climate litigation were filed against the largest companies.