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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Seriously stressed and stranded: The burden of non-performing assets in India's thermal power sector
India's thermal power sector holds $40-60bn of non-performing or stranded assets, taking away capital from critical sustainable investment. Low-cost renewable energy and a reliance on coal-fired generation is creating difficulties for the banking sector. The economics of low-cost renewables will bring significant financial implications for the country's thermal power reliance.
Renewables and business: Cutting prices and pollution
This report shows how investment in renewable energy can reduce exposure to volatile electricity prices and future price hikes. Over 46,000 businesses have already invested in large solar installations, and 40% of businesses are considering similar initiatives. Local and State Governments are also supporting business investment in clean, affordable and reliable renewable energy.
Innovation and resilience: A global snapshot of social enterprise responses to Covid-19
This report offers a global overview of social enterprise responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. It identifies innovation and agility as critical factors for survival. However, it notes that women-led and youth-led social enterprises face higher closure rates, greater reductions in activity, and more limited access to government support.
Growth-positive zero-emission pathways to 2050
This paper presents pathways to achieving growth positive zero-emission targets by 2050. The report concludes that significant action is required globally to achieve the low-carbon transition required to limit temperature increases to 1.5 °C, including the refashioning of multiple fundamental socio-economic systems and the international co-operation of decision-makers.
Global compact local networks: Accelerating national SDG implementation
The report emphasizes the role of responsible business in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlights the importance of local networks in mobilizing a global movement of companies committed to advancing the SDGs through capacity-building, awareness-raising, and collaboration.
Insurance regulation for sustainable development: Protecting human rights against climate risks and natural hazards
This report argues that insurance regulation has a critical role to play in protecting human rights against climate risk and natural hazards. Among its recommendations, the report calls for the proper pricing of climate risks, broader coverage from insurance, and the alignment of investments with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Environmental risk analysis by financial institutions: A review of global practice
This report examines how financial institutions tackle environmental risk, with an emphasis on credit and market risks. The study highlights examples of successful risk mitigation and draws attention to gaps in practice, particularly around modelling approaches and short-term decision-making.
Looking for something that isn’t there: A case study of an early attempt at ESG integration in investment decision making
This report explores the challenges of incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues into investment analysis and decision-making. Through a case study of an early attempt at ESG integration in an equity investment team, the authors highlight fundamental discontinuities between financial and ESG accounting inscriptions, and question the adequacy of current regulatory efforts.
FERC's failure to analyze energy market forces: Risks to ratepayers, landowners and the overall economy
This report shows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is failing to analyse vital energy market forces that should underpin assessment of new interstate gas pipelines. The research shows FERC’s decisions regarding these pipelines can impose unjustified costs on captive customers in the form of expensive and long-term contracts, and harm landowners and the wider economy.
The Ramsey discounting formula for a hidden-state stochastic growth process
The paper highlights how the choice of an appropriate discount rate is a critical issue in economics, and arguably more so for projects involving long time horizons. In particular, environmental projects and activities whose effects will be felt in the future pose significant challenges. The paper models such challenges as an evolving hidden-state stochastic process.
Transition risks in the automotive sector
This report analyses the potential valuation of BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen under two different climate change scenarios and pathways. The study reveals insights for equity analysis and company engagement with sensitivity to regional and technological factors. Authors present a warning not to see findings as investment recommendations or forecast.
Making global goals local business: A new era for responsible business
This report highlights the need for private sector involvement in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. It showcases the progress made so far by various companies and organisations and the role they play in building a better world through responsible business practices.
New legal opinion cautions Indian company directors to take climate change seriously or risk personal liability
This paper provides guidance to company directors in India regarding their obligations to consider climate change-related risks in the discharge of their duties under Indian law. It argues that directors' duties extend beyond shareholders to the community on matters concerning the environment, and that litigation risks to companies are increasing as a result of climate change.
Raising the bar: A baseline review of finance sector action on deforestation
The report provides a baseline review of 557 financial institutions' actions on deforestation, revealing that only a few are addressing commodity-driven deforestation and associated human rights abuses. Despite COP26 commitments, most lack comprehensive policies. Financial institutions must take urgent, concrete steps to eliminate deforestation and meet global climate targets.
An enhanced assessment of risks impacting the energy system
This report assesses the risks impacting the energy system. It explores the challenges, uncertainties, and opportunities organizations face in the near-term and long-term. The Dynamic Risk Assessment methodology is designed to incorporate future trends and their potential downstream exposures into risk management processes.
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.