Library | ESG issues
Law, Regulation & Compliance
The evolving legal and regulatory landscape financial organisations regarding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations comprises both voluntary frameworks and mandatory regulations. Voluntary initiatives, such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), provide guidelines for companies to disclose climate-related financial risks and opportunities. In contrast, mandatory regulations like the European Union’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) require financial market participants to disclose how they integrate ESG factors into their investment decisions.
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RIAA Policy Platform 2025: Harnessing sustainable finance for a thriving Australia
The RIAA Policy Platform 2025 outlines nine policy priorities and two principles to align Australia’s finance system with sustainability goals. It recommends regulatory reforms, improved data, Indigenous inclusion, and stronger accountability to mobilise capital for a net zero, nature-positive economy that supports long-term economic resilience and societal wellbeing.
Find it, fix it, prevent it: Modern slavery report 2024
CCLA’s 2024 report outlines investor-led efforts to address modern slavery through corporate engagement, policy advocacy, and improved data. Key sectors include construction and agriculture. Progress was made via benchmarking and collaborative initiatives, though disclosure and remedy remain limited. EU legislation and stakeholder coordination are driving further momentum.
ERM's the global regulations radar series
This bi-annual update outlines key ESG and EHS regulations across major regions, detailing compliance timelines, reporting standards, and emerging legislative trends. It highlights increasing global alignment on sustainability disclosures and regulatory developments in climate risk, human rights, and environmental protection, including new rules in the EU, US, Canada, and APAC.
Artificial intelligence in financial services
AI is reshaping financial services by enhancing efficiency, reducing costs and unlocking new revenue opportunities. With $97 billion in projected investment by 2027, firms must address risks like misinformation and data bias while prioritising governance, regulation and workforce reskilling to ensure responsible, secure and effective AI adoption.
Regulating AI in the financial sector: Recent developments and main challenges
The report outlines AI’s growing use in finance—especially in underwriting, fraud detection, and customer support—highlighting regulatory challenges around explainability, governance, and data security. It discusses evolving global guidance and the need for risk-based, proportionate oversight, particularly as generative AI gains traction in high-impact applications.
Australian Sustainable Finance Capability Framework: Updated pilot version
The updated Australian Sustainable Finance Capability Framework outlines key competencies for roles in sustainable finance across Australia. It integrates First Nations perspectives, focuses on social and environmental sustainability, and guides skill development in areas such as strategy, risk management, and reporting to support sector-wide capability uplift.
The root cause of nature loss: Forests, why they matter, and how to assess deforestation risk in investment portfolios through nature-related data
This report outlines how deforestation, particularly in tropical forests, is a key driver of biodiversity loss and climate change. It presents the risks to institutional investors—physical, transition, and systemic—and offers a framework to assess deforestation exposure in portfolios using nature-related data and metrics across sectors and geographies..
Navigating portfolio exposure to conflict-affected and high-risk areas: Practical guidance for investor engagement with companies
This report offers practical guidance for investors engaging companies on managing conflict-affected and high-risk area (CAHRA) exposure. It highlights legal obligations, best practices in heightened human rights due diligence, and governance strategies, drawn from pilot dialogues with tech and renewable energy firms. Recommendations target risk mitigation aligned with global standards.
The saliency-materiality nexus: Addressing systemic risks to people and portfolios in a turbulent world
This report introduces the saliency-materiality nexus, a framework linking severe human rights harms to financially material risks in conflict-affected areas. It highlights case studies totalling over $85 billion in losses and offers guidance for investors on due diligence, portfolio risk management, and alignment with legal and ethical responsibilities.
Climate change litigation databases
The Climate Change Litigation Database is an online tool providing access to a comprehensive collection of global climate change litigation cases. It is designed to support legal and finance professionals by offering detailed information and insights into climate-related legal actions and decisions worldwide.
A time for change in the sustainable fund market: Reflections and recommendations in a new regulatory environment
The report examines recent regulatory shifts in Europe and the UK affecting sustainable funds. It outlines rebranding impacts, highlights inconsistencies in fund categorisation, and stresses the need for broader sustainability definitions beyond the EU Taxonomy to avoid constraining investment opportunities and to better accommodate transition-related financial products.
AI, data governance and privacy: Synergies and areas of international co-operation
This report examines the synergies between artificial intelligence, data governance, and privacy, highlighting international collaboration opportunities. It identifies key regulatory frameworks, interoperability standards, and policy recommendations to address shared global challenges and promote responsible AI deployment while safeguarding data privacy across jurisdictions.
Voluntarily applying ISSB Standards—A guide for preparers
The guide assists entities in voluntarily adopting IFRS S1 and IFRS S2, facilitating consistent disclosure of sustainability-related financial information. It outlines transition reliefs and proportionality mechanisms to ease initial compliance challenges, aiding preparers in effectively communicating sustainability progress to investors and stakeholders regardless of jurisdictional regulations.
AASB Standards Portal
The AASB Standards Portal provides access to Australian Accounting Standards and Sustainability Reporting Standards, detailing requirements for financial reporting and climate-related disclosures. It serves as a resource for entities to ensure compliance with Australian financial reporting obligations.
Environmental Finance's biodiversity insight series
This series explores the evolving role of biodiversity in sustainable finance, investment strategies, and regulatory developments. It examines biodiversity risk, natural capital investment, reporting frameworks, and financial instruments supporting conservation efforts. The series provides insights into emerging market mechanisms, data challenges, and the integration of biodiversity considerations into financial decision-making.
The role of government in corporate governance: Perspectives from the UK
The report examines the UK government's role in corporate governance, identifying four key functions: enhancing competitive advantage, compensating for self-regulation failures, preventing corporate scandals, and reassuring the public of its oversight. It evaluates regulatory frameworks, corporate failures, and policy developments, highlighting implications for governance, politics, and economic stability.
