Library | ESG issues
Reputation
Reputation is a valuable intangible asset that influences a company’s market value, stakeholder trust, and long-term success. Reputation risk arises when a company faces negative public perception due to ethical concerns, legal issues, poor governance, or external crises.
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GHG protocol scope 2 guidance: An amendment to the GHG protocol corporate standard
This report updates the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard by introducing dual reporting for Scope 2 emissions—requiring both location-based and market-based methods. It defines Scope 2 accounting principles, emission factor hierarchies, and quality criteria for contractual instruments, aiming to improve transparency, accuracy, and comparability across energy markets.
Reducing animal testing in the health sector through strategic investment: Guide for investors
The report outlines how strategic investment can reduce animal testing in the health sector. It provides investors with guidance on promoting transparency, encouraging non-animal methods, and influencing regulation, while highlighting the risks of limited disclosure and misalignment with consumer concerns.
Market Forces
Market Forces works to hold financial institutions accountable for funding environmentally harmful projects. Based in Australia, it campaigns for banks, superannuation funds and governments to align investments with climate goals. Market Forces provides research, advocacy tools and transparency on fossil fuel financing to support climate-conscious financial decision-making.
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.
The value of NGO activism
NGO campaigns alleging environmental and social “E&S-washing” lead to negative stock and media responses, especially on financially material issues. Firms reduce direct emissions following climate-related allegations—often shifting them to supply chains. NGOs also prompt investor engagement, suggesting a monitoring role despite unintended consequences such as increased indirect emissions.
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.
Storm clouds and silver linings: Long-term investing in an age of geopolitical uncertainty
The report explores the impact of geopolitical uncertainty on long-term investing, highlighting risks and opportunities for institutional investors. It emphasises the need for integrating geopolitical considerations into investment strategies, governance, and decision-making frameworks. The report provides practical tools for investors to assess geopolitical resilience, manage risks, and engage with stakeholders while balancing short-term pressures with long-term value creation.
Net Environmental Contribution (NEC) metric
This tool measures the environmental impact of economic activity, company, or sector, to deliver a net contribution value on -100% to +100% scale, using physical data from across the value chain. It can be applied at company, portfolio, index, product/source levels. Includes qualitative and quantitative criteria on biodiversity.
Environmental crimes financial toolkit
This toolkit is a practical resource for finance professionals, outlining key indicators, typologies, and red flags related to environmental crime. Designed to support risk management and due diligence, the toolkit assists in identifying and mitigating financial exposure to environmental crime.
Modern slavery and remediation - an investor's guide
This guide explores the role of investors in addressing modern slavery within their portfolios. It provides practical steps for identifying risks, engaging investee companies, and enabling remediation when harm occurs. It includes case studies, recommendations, and legal frameworks to help investors meet their obligations and protect human rights.
How cheap talk in climate disclosures relates to climate initiatives, corporate emissions, and reputation risk
The report examines the relationship between corporate climate disclosures, cheap talk, and actual climate initiatives. It highlights how voluntary disclosures often suffer from superficiality, while targeted climate actions reduce cheap talk. Findings suggest cheap talk correlates with higher emissions and reputation risks, offering insights into the credibility of climate commitments.
Financial crimes and land conversion: Uncovering risk for financial institutions
This report outlines the risks financial institutions face due to land conversion and related financial crimes. It emphasises the convergence of land conversion with crimes like money laundering and corruption, highlighting the need for robust due diligence and risk assessment. It introduces an Environmental Crimes Financial Toolkit to aid institutions in mitigating these risks.
Respecting Indigenous rights: An actionable due diligence toolkit for institutional investors
This toolkit offers practical guidance for investors to respect Indigenous rights. It covers understanding and incorporating these rights into investment policies, assessing and addressing impacts, and ensuring Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. This toolkit aims to mitigate risks and uphold international human rights standards.
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.
Defining social norms and related concepts
This report defines social norms as the perceived unwritten rules deemed acceptable and influential in guiding human behaviour within a community. Social norms can be beneficial or harmful and influence collective change. The report distinguishes injunctive norms, descriptive norms, moral norms, and attitudes to establish behaviour change interventions.
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).