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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Council on ethics for the norwegian government pension fund global
The report outlines the Council on Ethics’ 2018 work advising Norges Bank on exclusions and observation under ethical guidelines. It covers assessments of human rights, environment, climate, corruption and weapons sales, resulting in multiple company exclusions, observations and revocations, alongside ongoing sectoral investigations.
Responsible investing in defence, security and resilience
The NATO Innovation Fund advocates removing financial exclusions on defence to bolster European security. The report recommends reforming procurement for rapid dual-use technology adoption and implementing a ‘Responsible Use Framework’ to ensure ethical development of emerging capabilities like AI and autonomous systems.
Finance for war: Finance for peace: How values based banks foster peace in a world of increasing conflict
The report analyses global financial links to arms production, showing significant funding for weapons despite rising conflict. It contrasts this with values-based banks, particularly GABV members, which largely exclude arms financing, arguing divestment supports peace, reduces risk, and aligns finance with social and environmental objectives.
Repurposing power markets: The path to sustainable and affordable energy for all
IFC’s report argues that repurposing power market designs is critical to achieving affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity. Drawing on global data, it finds competitive markets attract private capital, improve access and accelerate renewables, while recommending tailored reforms guided by innovation, integration and institutional strength.
Stakeholder engagement and science-based targets for nature
This report provides guidance for companies on integrating affected stakeholder perspectives into science-based targets for nature, emphasising Indigenous rights, equity, and due diligence. It outlines who to engage, how to engage, and how to evaluate engagement across the SBTN five-step process.
A roadmap for upgrading market access to decision-useful nature-related data
The TNFD roadmap outlines actions to improve market access to decision-useful nature-related data. It proposes data principles, pilot testing and a potential Nature Data Public Facility to address data quality, comparability, cost and accessibility for corporate reporting, target setting and transition planning.
Developing an approach to nature risk in financial services
The report outlines how financial institutions can assess and manage nature-related risks by integrating climate–nature interactions, systemic risk concepts and TNFD-aligned approaches. It highlights data gaps, tipping points, and scenario analysis to support prudent risk management and strategic decision-making.
From risk to resilience: Integrating adaptation into finance
The report outlines practical frameworks for integrating climate adaptation into financial decision-making, linking physical risk assessment to credit, investment, sovereign risk and financial products. It promotes the ABC framework, data transparency and adaptation-inclusive transition plans to improve resilience, pricing and capital allocation.
Heterogeneity in corporate sustainability initiatives and stock returns
The study shows only transformative sustainability initiatives predict higher future profitability and generate positive abnormal stock returns. Advocacy, preparation and standard ESG ratings do not. Markets initially mispriced transformative actions, but learning gradually eliminated the alpha by 2022.
A review of the link between sustainability performance and company valuation
The report reviews recent evidence on links between sustainability performance and company valuation, finding growing but uneven market recognition. Strong strategies can improve resilience, EBITDA and capital costs, while inaction raises long-term financial risk amid evolving disclosure and regulation.
A risk professional’s guide to physical risk assessments: A GARP benchmarking study of 13 vendors
GARP benchmarks 13 vendors’ asset-level climate physical risk models, finding wide dispersion in hazard and damage estimates due to differing data, assumptions and methods. The report stresses due diligence, transparency and improved asset data when selecting vendors.
The (mis)use of scenarios in fossil fuel and industry climate disclosures
The report analyses climate disclosures by investor-owned carbon majors, finding widespread misuse of climate scenarios to claim Paris alignment. Common issues include outdated scenarios, opaque assumptions and misleading aggregation, which obscure transition risks and may misinform investor decision-making.
Banking on business as usual: The energy finance imbalance
The report assesses energy financing by 65 major banks (2021–2024), finding fossil fuel finance more than double sustainable power supply. The energy supply financing ratio stagnates around 0.42:1, far below net-zero benchmarks, with regional disparities and weak translation of climate commitments into financing shifts.
Historical redlining and cumulative environmental impacts across the United States
This study analyses 202 US cities, linking historic redlining to higher present-day cumulative environmental burdens. Using EJScreen data and modelling, it finds redlined neighbourhoods face significantly greater combined pollution exposures, particularly from traffic, hazardous waste and wastewater sites, with strongest disparities in western regions.
The Climate Resilience Investment Framework (CRIF)
IIGCC’s Climate Resilience Investment Framework provides investors with a structured approach to manage physical climate risks, integrate adaptation into portfolios, and guide asset-level, portfolio, and policy actions, prioritising real estate and infrastructure through a process-based methodology aligned with financial materiality.
Unlocking Opportunity: Addressing Livestock Methane to Build Resilient Food Systems
This Ceres report outlines the financial and climate case for reducing livestock methane. It maps methane exposure across food supply chains and sets out strategies for companies and investors to manage risk, strengthen resilience, and capture value through near-term methane mitigation.
