Library | ESG issues
Oversight, Assurance & Audit
Effective oversight, assurance, and audit are essential for organisations to manage risks and ensure the integrity of both financial and sustainability reporting. Boards and senior executives are responsible for overseeing risk management processes, obtaining assurance that principal risks are identified, managed, and monitored, and ensuring the effectiveness of internal controls. Audits, whether financial or sustainability-focused, involve independent evaluations of an organisation’s reports and controls to provide stakeholders with confidence in the accuracy and reliability of disclosed information.
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Financial system interactions with ecosystem tipping points: Evidence from the Brazilian Amazon and Indonesian peatlands
Examining the interplay between financial systems and ecological thresholds, this research identifies pivotal financial flows linked to land use changes in the Brazilian Amazon and Indonesian peatlands. It proposes targeted interventions to steer these investments towards sustainable practices, emphasising the need for global policy alignment to mitigate the systemic risks posed by ecosystem tipping points.
A director’s guide to mandatory climate reporting
This guide covers Australia’s mandatory climate reporting, requiring large entities to disclose climate risks and opportunities from January 2025. It provides directors with practical steps for compliance, focusing on governance, strategy, and risk management, and encourages proactive engagement to build long-term organisational resilience.
Certifications Red Flags tool
This tool helps finance professionals identify potential risks in investment certifications. It provides a structured framework for assessing the credibility of certifications, enhancing decision-making in responsible investment practices. Users can access key indicators of reliability and transparency in various certifications.
finra
FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) is a not-for-profit organisation that regulates broker-dealers and securities firms to protect investors and ensure market integrity. It provides education, registration, and oversight for financial professionals. FINRA enforces compliance with securities laws and regulations to maintain fair financial markets in the United States.
The ITSCI laundromat: How a due diligence scheme appears to launder conflict minerals
This report investigates how the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative (ITSCI) allegedly launders conflict minerals from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It highlights serious failings in the traceability system, enabling smuggling, militia involvement, and child labour in the mineral trade. Recommendations include structural reforms and stricter enforcement by governments and companies.
Combining AI and domain expertise to assess corporate climate transition disclosures
This paper introduces an assessment framework for corporate disclosures on climate transition strategies. It identifies 64 indicators from 28 frameworks, develops a natural language processing (NLP) tool to automate disclosure assessment, and analyses disclosures of carbon-intensive companies. The findings reveal that companies often prioritise reporting targets over concrete implementation actions.
Alignment assessment of industry programmes with the OECD Minerals Guidance
The report evaluates the extent to which five industry programmes align with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for responsible mineral sourcing. It highlights gaps and improvements in standards and implementation, focusing on due diligence, risk assessment, and audit practices across mineral supply chains.
2024 good practice guide
This guide provides essential guidelines for companies and investors to enhance human rights due diligence, particularly in supply chains. It emphasises transparency, risk assessment, and responsible purchasing practices to combat forced labour. The guide also offers practical examples and benchmarks, helping stakeholders align with global standards and improve corporate disclosures.
Shareaction's insuring disaster benchmark series
The "Insuring Disaster" series by ShareAction evaluates the responsible investment and underwriting practices of the world's largest insurers, focusing on their approaches to critical environmental and social issues. This benchmark series highlights the industry's impact on climate, biodiversity, and human rights, offering actionable recommendations for improvement.
Climate TRACE
Climate TRACE is a comprehensive tool for tracking global greenhouse gas emissions. Utilising satellite data and AI, it provides real-time insights, helping finance professionals assess environmental impacts and make informed decisions. This tool supports ESG integration and sustainability in financial practices.
Energy transition risks and opportunities initiative's series
Energy Transition Risk and Opportunities Initiative (ET Risk) provides finance professionals with tools to assess energy transition risks and opportunities. The project focuses on sustainable finance, ESG impacts, and climate change, helping users make informed investment decisions.
The global risks report 2024: 19th edition
This report outlines global risks in 2024 and 2034, in an effort to provide insight to government and business leaders about the potential threats of the future. The report highlights potential global risks ranging from false information, economic uncertainty, climate change, AI dominance, to an increase in conflict and organised crimes.
Accounting for impact: Financial and sustainability reporting of relocating graves in South Africa
This report delves into reporting sustainability impacts alongside financial data, using the case of relocating graves due to mining in South Africa. It highlights the necessity of clearer disclosure guidelines, improved stakeholder engagement, cultural heritage preservation, and recognising societal implications beyond financial metrics. Companies must navigate complexities and prioritise transparency.
Dhawura Ngilan - Business and investor initiative: A guide for businesses and investors
This report provides guidance for businesses and investors to respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage rights and implement environmental, social, and corporate governance principles. The Dhawura Ngilan (Remembering Country) vision is outlined and detailed recommendations for ethical investment practices are provided.
Oxford principles for net zero aligned carbon offsetting
This 2024 framework of four principles and guidance for organisations and standard bodies involved in offsetting practices. The revised principles emphasise the need for urgency in the reduction of emissions and the closing of the carbon removal gap, while maintaining transparency and integrity in all projects.
Why circular business models fail and what to do about it: A preliminary framework and lessons learned from a case in the European Union
Circular business models fail to scale due to cultural, regulatory, economic, and technical barriers. This report proposes a preliminary empirical framework for linking circular business models to specific barriers and offers four lessons for managerial strategies.
