Library | ESG issues
Inequality
Inequality refers to disparities in income, wealth, and access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and economic opportunities. While some progress has been made, inequalities persist and deepen for vulnerable populations, including refugees, migrants, Indigenous peoples, older persons, people with disabilities, and children. These disparities hinder sustainable development, threaten social stability, and limit economic growth. Addressing inequality requires inclusive policies, equitable access to resources, and protections against discrimination and social exclusion.
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State of Indigenous business: Driving growth across the Indigenous business sector
The report provides insights into the Indigenous business landscape in Australia. The report outlines the potential economic growth for Indigenous businesses estimated at $8 billion, which could create 19,000 jobs for Indigenous Australians. The report discusses the current challenges facing Indigenous businesses and offers policy recommendations to stimulate growth and improved connection between procurers and Indigenous businesses.
Measuring what matters: Australia's first well-being framework
Measuring What Matters is Australia's first wellbeing framework, published in July 2023 by the Commonwealth of Australia. It seeks to deepen our understanding of how Australians are faring beyond traditional economic indicators. The framework includes 50 wellbeing indicators under the themes of healthy, secure, sustainable, cohesive, and prosperous societies.
ESG investing in emerging markets – a roadmap towards net-zero
This report discusses the challenges in ESG investing for emerging markets due to varying standards in regulations and reporting. It also covers the importance of sovereign engagement and incorporating biodiversity in investment decisions. The lack of standardisation in data and regulation presents difficulties in generating sustainable investments.
Getting ahead of the curve on dynamic materiality: How U.S. investors can foster more inclusive capitalism
This discussion paper highlights tools and opportunities for US investors to foster sustainable and responsible value creation in order to support more inclusive and thriving economy. It also discusses the risks posed to portfolios by social and environmental risks and how diversified investors can mitigate them.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank dedicated to improving lives in Asia and the Pacific. It provides financial assistance and technical expertise to promote sustainable development, reduce poverty, and foster economic growth in the region. ADB focuses on infrastructure development, environmental sustainability, and poverty reduction initiatives.
Transformational investment: Converting global systemic risks into sustainable returns
This report explores transformational investment while arguing that the global economy is under threat from long-term systemic risks. Rich Nuzum, President of Investments and Retirement at Mercer, called on institutional investors to help mitigate the risks through "long-term thinking" and "constructively tackling complicated problems".
Sovereign bonds: Spotlight on ESG risks
This report explores the use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analysis as a potential risk-reducing and return-enhancing tool for investors in developed-country sovereign bonds. The report suggests that ESG factors are material to both creditworthiness and investment performance.
Safe and just Earth system boundaries
This report sets safe and just Earth system boundaries (ESBs) for domains including climate, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and identifies sub-global ESBs for avoiding Earth system destabilization. Achieving these ESBs requires a systemic transformation across sectors and addressing drivers of Earth system change for a safe and just future.
Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention
This study shows the theoretical and empirical existence of a tipping point for changing social conventions. Minority groups can overturn established behaviour by reaching a critical mass, expected to vary depending on social setting. The findings offer insight for organizations with potential shifts in conventional behaviour.
Constructive corporate engagements: From a corporate perspective
This research focuses on constructive corporate engagement. This report analyses survey results from 100 senior company directors and interviews with ten executives to examine the drivers of successful engagements. Insights include the importance of collaborating with companies, focusing on material issues, and using standard metrics for success.
Five insights for avoiding global collapse: What a 50-year-old model of the world taught me about a way forward for us today
This book analyses a 50-year-old model of the world to provide five insights for avoiding global collapse. The book examines societal pressures, the role of technology, governance structures, and finance that contribute to earth's ecosystem health and sustenance."
Assessing pharma companies’ response to COVID-19 and the threat of future pandemics
This report analyses pharmaceutical companies’ response during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, their performance in terms of registration and applying equitable access strategies for COVID-19 vaccines, voluntary licensing agreements and technology transfers, and forward-looking assessment of their preparedness for future epidemics and pandemics.
System of environmental-economic accounting 2012: Central framework
This is a statistical framework consisting of a comprehensive set of tables and accounts, which guides the compilation of consistent and comparable statistics and indicators for policymaking, analysis and research. It provides a general introduction to combined physical and monetary presentations and a structure for presenting comparative data across a range of variables.
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).
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.
Beyond diversity: Equity and inclusion as an overlooked opportunity for investors
This report argues that equity and inclusion, rather than diversity alone, are key drivers of business performance. It outlines organisational practices and leadership behaviours that foster inclusion, enabling diverse talent to contribute fully. Investors are encouraged to prioritise structural inclusion metrics over representational data for meaningful performance insights.
