Library | ESG issues

Governance

The governance pillar in ESG (environmental, social, and governance) refers to the systems, policies, and practices that ensure an organisation is managed responsibly and ethically. It includes issues such as board structure, reporting & disclosures, shareholders & voting, and risk management. Strong governance reduces risks, enhances trust, and supports long-term business sustainability.

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SHOW: 16

Living with fire and water: Resilience financing for natural infrastructure

Forest Trends
This report proposes a resilience-financing architecture to fund natural infrastructure. By wrapping catastrophe bonds with government credit enhancement, it creates a spread to finance landscape-scale mitigation. This mechanism aims to preserve insurability, reduce systemic climate risk, and convert unpriced contingent liabilities into structured, capped financial positions.
Research
9 September 2026

The governance of dual-class firms

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This research examines the governance of dual-class firms, documenting a significant rise in their prevalence among US initial public offerings between 2000 and 2025. It identifies that these structures are increasingly concentrated in founder-led, venture-backed technology companies, while empirical evidence suggests they do not necessarily lead to CEO entrenchment.
Research
1 September 2026

The global rise of index-based ownership of firms

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This research examines the global expansion of index-based ownership from 2004 to 2023. Using a benchmark-free classification model, the study finds global index ownership reached 16.9% by 2023. It highlights significant regional variations, noting that US ownership is highest in mid-caps, whereas European and Asian indexing remains concentrated in large-cap firms.
Research
31 August 2026

Governing global externalities: Investor voice amid fragmented policy

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This research examines how corporate stewardship and policy advocacy address global externalities. Stewardship is more effective when foreign regulation is absent and leakage is high. However, if foreign regulation is feasible, stewardship can crowd out policy, while advocacy can encourage international regulatory coordination through strategic complementarity.
Research
10 September 2026

Crosswalking SBTN freshwater requirements with CSRD water disclosures

Science Based Targets Network (SBTN)
This report compares the SBTN freshwater framework with EU CSRD and ESRS requirements. It identifies areas of alignment, such as materiality assessments and basin-level analysis, while highlighting differences in scope. SBTN provides the scientific foundation for setting targets that support mandatory reporting obligations under European standards.
Research
27 April 2026

The business case for science-based targets: Corporate insights on the value of science-based targets for nature

Science Based Targets Network (SBTN)
This report examines the strategic value of science-based targets for nature. Drawing on insights from early adopters across diverse sectors, it identifies six key business benefits, including protected revenue and enhanced credibility. It outlines a structured approach for organisations to manage environmental impacts while future-proofing operations against regulatory shifts.
Research
14 September 2026

International credit to Africa

Bank for International Settlements
This research examines the rapid expansion of international credit to Africa since the Global Financial Crisis. It highlights the rise of Chinese lending under the Belt and Road Initiative, the dramatic growth of international bond issuance, and the continued dominance of governments as borrowers in US dollar-denominated markets.
Research
11 September 2026

Bank executive compensation and risk-taking

Bank for International Settlements
This research investigates bank executive compensation since the Great Financial Crisis. It finds that longer deferral horizons successfully reduce risk-taking and encourage prudent capital management. However, evidence regarding variable pay caps is inconclusive. Case studies from 2023 failures highlight governance shortcomings in risk-adjusting performance metrics and compensation schemes.
Research
11 September 2026

Spillover effects of regulatory inspections: Evidence from OSHA

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspections significantly reduce injuries at nearby, uninspected workplaces. An inspection reduces injuries at same-ZIP-code establishments by 11 per cent, preventing six times more injuries through spillovers than direct effects. These findings suggest conventional evaluations substantially understate the social returns to regulatory enforcement.
Research
1 August 2026

Analysing the EU policy mix for the built environment from a sufficiency perspective

Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
This research assesses the integration of sufficiency principles into European Union building policies. Analysing 16 policy documents, it finds that while measures for reducing consumption and environmental sustainability are prevalent, social dimensions and behavioural changes are often neglected. It recommends prioritising building renovation over new construction to meet sustainability goals.
Research
5 September 2026

Buybacks playbook

FCLTGlobal
This playbook provides a framework for companies, investors, and policymakers to evaluate share buybacks based on long-term merits. It recommends objective capital allocation, decoupling executive pay from buyback-influenced metrics, and enhancing regulatory disclosures and trading restrictions to ensure repurchases support sustainable corporate strategy rather than short-term gains.
Research
28 September 2020

Sustainability or strategy: Bridging the gap between climate change and long-term value creation

FCLTGlobal
FCLTGlobal research identifies a significant gap between corporate climate commitments and long-term business strategies. Analysing the world’s 100 largest companies, the report introduces a Conversation Guide to help organisations integrate climate transition planning into core value creation, capital allocation, and risk management to build investor trust and resilience.
Research
3 May 2022

From voluntary to binding: Integration of sustainability standards and initiatives in public mining governance

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
This report examines the integration of sustainability standards and initiatives (SSIs) into public mining governance. Through surveys and case studies in Brazil, Madagascar, and Sweden, it demonstrates how voluntary standards complement mandatory regulations to address environmental, social, and governance risks, supporting policy formulation, implementation, and transparent reporting.
Research
24 July 2026

Locked in and priced out: How coal power contracts fuel debt and delay the energy transition

Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (University of Oxford)
This report examines how rigid power purchase agreements for coal power in India, Indonesia, and Pakistan create unsustainable debt and delay the energy transition. It highlights how these contracts lock in expensive, polluting energy and proposes policy solutions including payouts, technology swaps, renegotiation, and litigation.
Research
4 August 2026

The impact of patient capital

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
This research examines how investor patience influences venture capital strategies and startup outcomes. Using a 2014 Chinese reform and a survey experiment, it demonstrates that longer-horizon investors, such as insurers, lead funds to adopt longer holding periods and earlier-stage investments, significantly improving portfolio innovation and successful exit rates.
Research
1 September 2026

Administrative and market frictions in the choice between green and conventional bonds

This research investigates how administrative frictions and institutional environments influence corporate green bond issuance. Using global data from 2013–2024, it finds that bureaucratic complexity reduces green labelling probability, particularly outside transition-intensive sectors. Mandatory sustainability disclosure significantly increases issuance, highlighting the importance of efficient implementation for sustainable finance policies.
Research
28 February 2026
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