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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Finance and climate change: A comprehensive climate assessment of the world’s largest financial institutions
An analysis of the top 30 global financial institutions exposes a notable absence of immediate action on climate change. While pledging net-zero targets by 2050, their plans lack focus and lack measurable short-term actions. Urgent reshaping of activities is imperative for these institutions to effectively transition to a net-zero future.
Business banking and start-up support for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking
The report highlights the Survivor Inclusion Initiative (SII), addressing the business banking and startup needs of survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking. It outlines efforts such as training, support, expert review, and the global Survivor Business Roundtable to enhance survivors' access to financial services.
Lessons from the survivor inclusion initiative (SII) in the UK, US, and Canada
The briefing provides lessons to achieve financial inclusion of survivors of human trafficking and includes training and accommodations for survivor needs and experiences in compliance and due diligence processes.
Impact investing for pensions
This report analyses the growth of impact investing strategies among European pension funds. The report examines challenges and opportunities, regulatory restrictions, impact measurement and management, private equity case studies, and emerging investments in affordable and social housing.
Impact due diligence and management for asset allocators: A field guide
This report provides practical guidance for asset allocators to evaluate and manage private market funds that invest for positive impact. It covers the pre and post-investment stages, including conducting diligence of impact managers and monitoring and engaging with them
New frontiers in value creation: A guide to impact value creation in collaboration with impact capital managers
This report explores new frontiers in impact value creation across private markets. It discusses key considerations for financial materiality of impact, sources of impact value creation, and modalities for impact value creation with a focus on case studies.
Financial crime compliance to fight modern slavery and human trafficking
This blueprint urges financial institutions to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery, suggesting that both are a financial crime and compliance risk, and warns against wholesale de-risking. This report outlines strategies for detecting financing of such illegal activities, reducing risk, and government action towards AML/CFT risk assessments, ahead of regulatory fines and sanctions in jurisdictions worldwide.
Managing nature-related financial risks: A precautionary policy approach for central banks and financial supervisors
This research paper argues that central banks and financial supervisors must adopt a precautionary policy approach to address the increasing nature-related financial risks in both the real economy and the financial system. This approach should be integrated into a wider set of regulatory and policy instruments to tackle environmental breakdown.
Field guide to impact investing: For Australian charitable trusts and foundations
This is a comprehensive resource to help organisations make sustainable impact investing decisions. Covering everything from impact measurement to legal structuring, this guide contains expert insights and is designed to be an essential tool for the industry.
Resources, energy and modern slavery: Practical responses to managing risks to people
This report provides practical responses for managing modern slavery risks in the resources and energy sectors. Covering topics such as risk to people and business, human rights risks, and key responses for addressing these risks, the report is an essential guide for companies seeking to effectively identify and manage modern slavery risks.
Financing environmental and energy transitions for regions and cities: Creating local solutions for global challenges
This report presents recommendations for bridging the gap between financial institutions' lack of structures for local initiatives and subnational governments' lack of knowledge to take that role. It proposes adapting finance data to include integrated value.
The global risks report 2020
This report explores the most pressing economic, environmental, technological, and public health challenges facing stakeholders amid an unstable global landscape. It proposes stakeholders should act quickly to address these challenges, in partnership with others, to mitigate risks and shape a more sustainable future.
Failure by design: Is the net zero asset managers initiative broken?
This initiative was designed to align asset managers' portfolios with net-zero targets. However, their methodology lacks standardisation and rigour, leading to ambiguous targets and little progress towards net zero. An overhaul of the initiative is needed to ensure asset managers are held accountable.
Superannuation fund trustee duties and climate change - updated memorandum of opinion 2021
This is an updated memorandum of opinion with the last one given in 2017. The report looks at recent regulatory and industry statements and develops a two-step approach superannuation trustees should take to remain compliant with their regulatory obligations. Trustees must understand the risk posed by climate change to investments and manage any identified risks.
Greenwashing: A governance perspective
This report provides an overview of greenwashing practices and their impact. The report expounds on the various forms of greenwashing and highlights the need for governance professionals to ensure accurate claims by companies. It also touches on Australia's legal and regulatory environment as regards greenwashing and contains helpful advice on how to manage it.
'Signals of seriousness' for human rights due diligence
This discussion draft proposes a list of "signals of seriousness" that could inform administrative assessments of companies' HRDD efforts under potential EU legislation. The document provides comprehensive guidance on human rights and environmental due diligence and highlights key features of HRDD practices, offering critical insights to regulators seeking to enforce the proposed legislation.
