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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U.S. climate policy and blockchain innovation in future smart and sustainable cities
This report explores blockchain's potential to address climate challenges and foster smart, sustainable cities. It highlights blockchain's capacity for decentralisation, transparency, and efficiency in urban governance, renewable energy, and civic participation. Recommendations include multi-stakeholder collaboration, educational initiatives, and human-centred design to ensure ethical, inclusive implementation for climate resilience and innovation.
Infrastructure tokenization: Does blockchain have a role in the financing of infrastructure?
The report explores the potential of blockchain technology in financing infrastructure projects. It evaluates blockchain's capabilities in enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in infrastructure tokenisation, while addressing challenges like regulatory constraints, market adoption, and technical barriers. The findings highlight both opportunities and limitations for integrating blockchain into infrastructure financing.
Responsible investment and blockchain
The report explores blockchain technology's relevance to responsible investment, highlighting its potential to enhance transparency, automate processes, and improve ESG data tracking. It discusses blockchain's implications for shareholder voting, decentralised systems, financial inclusivity, and sustainability. Practical challenges, including regulation, technical integration, and energy use, are also addressed. .
Biodiversity credit markets: The role of law, regulation, and policy
This report explores legal, policy, and regulatory frameworks to develop high-integrity biodiversity credit markets. These markets aim to finance nature-positive and equitable outcomes, providing innovative and scalable funding for biodiversity conservation and restoration. This report provides investors with insights into the legal and regulatory foundations that support high quality offset markets. As such, this report can be used as a tool to inform policy advocacy in the biodiversity credit market space.
UN Environment Programme's emissions gap report series
This benchmark report, produced by the United Nations Environment Programme, assesses the discrepancy between projected and necessary global greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Paris Agreement targets. It highlights the urgent need for enhanced mitigation actions and tracks progress on national commitments and policy implementations.
The financial stability implications of artificial intelligence
The report discusses the rapid adoption and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the financial sector, driven by advancements in technology and increasing operational efficiency. Key risks include dependencies on third-party providers, market correlations, and cyber vulnerabilities. Generative AI's accessibility could amplify systemic risks, necessitating enhanced regulatory frameworks, vigilant monitoring, and robust governance to ensure financial stability amid evolving AI technologies.
Developing responsible chatbots for financial services: A pattern-oriented responsible AI engineering approach
The report outlines a pattern-oriented engineering approach for responsible AI in financial services. It identifies challenges in scaling responsible AI, introduces a Responsible AI Pattern Catalogue for addressing lifecycle risks, and provides case studies on chatbot development. The study underscores governance, process, and product strategies to operationalise responsible AI principles effectively.
The prevention of adult exploitation and trafficking
The report synthesises research between 2020-2024 on preventing adult exploitation and trafficking. It highlights limited evidence on early intervention, re-trafficking prevention, and primary prevention. Recommendations include better prevention systems, multi-agency collaboration, addressing root causes, and evaluating effective trade and governance practices.
Synthetic content: Exploring the risks, technical approaches, and regulatory responses
Generative AI enables the rapid creation of synthetic content, offering both opportunities and risks. This report examines challenges like disinformation and fraud, outlines technical and regulatory strategies, and explores trade-offs with privacy. Techniques discussed include watermarking, provenance tracking, and legal frameworks, aiming to enhance transparency while safeguarding privacy.
Interconnected justice: Understanding the cross-border implications of climate transition policies
The report explores the concept of interconnected justice in global climate and nature transitions. It highlights the need for policies that integrate environmental, social, and economic dimensions, advocating multi-actor dialogues and frameworks to mitigate cross-border inequalities.
GIIN's IRIS
IRIS+ provides streamlined, practical, how-to guidance on integrating social and environmental factors into investment decision making. It is free to use.
Artificial intelligence and big holdings data: Opportunities for central banks
This report explores the potential of artificial intelligence and big holdings data for central banks. It highlights how asset demand systems and AI models improve policy decisions, optimise monetary interventions, and address financial risks. Applications include managing contagion, designing climate stress tests, and identifying crowded trades, enhancing economic resilience.
Transforming global finance for climate action: Addressing misaligned incentives and unlocking opportunities
The report identifies systemic barriers preventing the flow of capital to climate-positive projects. It introduces the PIVOT framework, outlining policy vacuum, misaligned incentives, valuation challenges, inactive ownership, and transition misalignment. The report provides actionable solutions for policymakers, investors, and stakeholders to align finance with the Paris Agreement.
Fiscal policy and sustainable finance: Enhancing the role of the financial sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals
The report explores how fiscal policy can mobilise private sector finance for sustainable development in Asia-Pacific. It emphasises green guarantees, subsidies, and roadmaps, showcasing ASEAN+3 successes in aligning fiscal policy with climate action to attract private investment and encourage sustainable economic activities.
Towards a new economic paradigm 2.0: Innovating to integrate decision-making across nature, people, society and the economy
The report explores systems-level innovations for integrating nature, people, society, and economy in decision-making. Through the Capitals Protocol, Governance Framework, and Integrated Decision-Making Requirements, it advocates for a shift beyond financial metrics, promoting holistic value assessments to foster sustainable business practices and societal well-being.
Activating private investment in adaptation: Turning capital flight risk into the next multibillion opportunity
This report highlights the need to scale private investment in climate adaptation to mitigate capital flight from vulnerable areas. It outlines barriers like resilience valuation and fiduciary concerns, and recommends actions for governments and investors to facilitate resilience innovation, regulatory support, and shared understanding of physical risks, ensuring long-term economic stability and community protection.
