Library | ESG issues
Indigenous Rights
Indigenous rights ensure that Indigenous peoples live free from discrimination, protect their cultural identity, and participate in decisions affecting their communities and lands. These rights include self-determination, land and resource governance, and preservation of traditional knowledge. Organisations must uphold the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), ensuring Indigenous communities have the right to give or withhold consent before mining, agriculture, infrastructure, and other projects affect their lands and resources.
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Locally led adaptation in African communities: Insights from practice
This report examines practitioners' experiences of locally led adaptation (LLA) in Africa. It emphasises the necessity of social equity, the integration of indigenous knowledge, and the role of local institutions. It offers strategic recommendations for governments and funders to decentralise climate finance and support community-driven resilience initiatives effectively.
Collective power: The struggle for protection for land and environmental defenders
Global Witness reports that 124 land and environmental defenders were killed in 2025, bringing the total since 2012 to 2,375. Colombia remains the deadliest country. The report advocates for collective protection mechanisms and highlights the criminalisation of Indigenous communities resisting land grabs in Peru and Indonesia.
Scaling tropical forest finance: Perspectives from the Amazon Basin, the Congo Basin, and Borneo
This research identifies a USD66.8 billion annual gap in tropical forest finance by 2030. It evaluates the Tropical Forest Forever Facility as an innovative model for predictable payments for standing forests and recommends landscape-scale approaches and direct funding for Indigenous Peoples to secure biodiversity and climate stability.
First Nations co-ownership and equity participation in clean energy projects
This guide explores First Nations co-ownership in Australian clean energy projects. It details financial structures, including corporate models and quasi-equity arrangements. The report outlines benefits like economic empowerment and risks such as capital access barriers, providing case studies and negotiation strategies for First Nations communities.
Investor benefits of First Nations participation in clean energy projects
This report identifies the financial and strategic benefits of First Nations participation in Australia's clean energy transition. It highlights five key investor advantages, including accelerated development cycles and improved capital access. It also outlines actions to overcome participation barriers through existing toolkits and international models to unlock economic value.
Indigenous ocean law: Marine title, rights and management
This report explores Indigenous ocean law, critiquing Western legal frameworks while advocating for Indigenous-led marine management. It highlights the Haida Nation’s success in securing marine title through negotiation and litigation, and presents conceptual tools like keystone theory and the rights of nature to support sustainable ocean governance.
Traditional ecological knowledge for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Fiji
This report examines Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in Fiji as a cost-effective, sustainable tool for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. It details how the iTaukei people use traditional housing, food preservation, and early warning systems to enhance community resilience against cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels.
Pure dynamite: How Bolsonaro’s government (2019-2022) mineral policy set up a climate and anti-indigenous bomb
This report analyses Brazil's mineral policy under the Bolsonaro administration from 2019 to 2022. It details how deregulation, lobbying, and legislative changes facilitated industrial and illegal mining, leading to environmental degradation and human rights violations. It provides a timeline of events and suggests measures for policy reform.
FPIC-360° Tool
The FPIC-360° Tool, developed by Equitable Origin, is a digital platform designed to facilitate and monitor Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes. It helps developers and investors manage Indigenous rights-based engagement and mitigate social risks in energy and infrastructure projects.
Advancing rights-based and community-led conservation in Africa: Evidence, lessons, and recommendations
This research examines rights-based and community-led conservation in Africa, demonstrating that community management on lands under customary tenure is essential for biodiversity. It identifies key success factors, evaluates formal and informal initiatives, and provides recommendations for governments to integrate these approaches into national biodiversity strategies and financing plans.
Investment sector kaupapa Māori market scan
This baseline assessment examines kaupapa Māori within Aotearoa New Zealand’s investment sector. While 22 of 32 surveyed organisations view Māori values as critical, only five have formal frameworks. The report introduces three strategic Pou—Mātauranga, Ara Ake, and Te Haumi—to bridge the gap between intent and enduring practice.
Indigenous rights and Canadian pension funds
This report evaluates 11 Canadian pension managers on their alignment with Indigenous rights and free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). It identifies significant policy gaps and material financial risks, recommending that funds adopt UNDRIP-aligned frameworks and refuse to invest in major projects lacking the explicit consent of impacted communities.
Principles of Indigenous Just Transition
The Principles of Indigenous Just Transition, developed by the Indigenous Environmental Network, provide 11 core guidelines for a regenerative economy. The tool helps investors and developers ensure that energy transitions respect Indigenous sovereignty and avoid extractive practices.
Progress report: national adaptation plan
This 2026 report by He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission assesses New Zealand's progress on its first national adaptation plan. It finds that adaptation efforts are insufficient and recommends six foundational improvements, focusing on funding, legislative alignment, and Māori-led action to address escalating climate risks.
Digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources: A guide for financial institutions in the context of the Cali Fund
This guide helps financial institutions assess portfolio exposure and engage with companies on digital sequence information (DSI). It outlines regulatory risks, including the Cali Fund and benefit-sharing under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, while providing practical tools for investor engagement across the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
Nature as infrastructure: Recommendations to strengthen landscapes for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Australia
This paper advocates for scaling natural infrastructure to mitigate Australia's escalating climate disaster costs. It demonstrates that every dollar invested in natural capital returns approximately nine dollars in benefits. Key recommendations include empowering First Nations stewardship, integrating natural values into financial decision-making, and securing multi-year funding for regional aggregators.
