Library | ESG issues

Social

The social pillar in ESG (environmental, social, and governance) assesses a organisation’s impact on people and society. It covers labour practices, diversity and inclusion, human rights and community engagement. Prioritising social responsibility not only benefits society but also mitigates risks, strengthens reputation, and creates long-term value for businesses and investors.

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Systems-informed stewardship part II: Bringing a systems perspective to stewardship

This article applies a systems lens to stewardship, arguing that fragmented intermediation and entrenched short-term time horizons undermine sustainability outcomes. It calls for recognising these structural barriers as a critical step toward more effective, systems-informed stewardship.
Article
11 February 2026

Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries monitors a world out of balance series

Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL)
This series presents the Doughnut Economics framework, which assesses economic progress by balancing social foundations with ecological limits. It provides a structured approach to understanding whether human activity meets essential needs while remaining within planetary boundaries, supporting analysis, comparison and application across global, national and local contexts.
Benchmark/series
1 October 2025

State of transition in sovereigns series

Transition Pathway Initiative
Assessing Sovereign Climate-related Opportunities and Risks (ASCOR) is a benchmark series that provides an investor-led framework to assess how sovereigns manage climate-related risks and opportunities. It supports sovereign bond analysis, engagement, and comparison by evaluating national policies, emissions pathways, and climate finance using transparent, publicly available information.
Benchmark/series
6 January 2025

Transition forecast series

Energy Transition Advisers (ETA)
This benchmark series presents forward-looking assessments of global energy, land use and nature transitions. It consolidates expert judgement with structured policy tracking to outline plausible transition pathways across major economies, supporting investors and financial institutions in scenario analysis, risk assessment and strategic planning.
Benchmark/series
27 February 2025

TuK Indonesia

Issue Focused NGOs & Think Tanks
Transformasi untuk Keadilan Indonesia (TuK INDONESIA) is an Indonesian non-governmental organisation based in Jakarta advocating human rights, social justice and environmental accountability in agribusiness, natural resources and finance sectors. It conducts research, campaigns and advocacy to promote sustainable finance, corporate accountability and protection of vulnerable communities.
Organisation

Indicators of global climate change 2024: Annual update of key indicators of the state of the climate system and human influence series

This series provides annual, peer-reviewed updates on key indicators of the global climate system and human influence. It tracks developments between IPCC assessment cycles, using consistent methods to support comparability, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making for policy and finance audiences.
Benchmark/series
16 June 2025

Doughnut Economics Action Lab

Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL)
Doughnut Economics Action Lab tools provide practical frameworks, guides, and interactive resources to apply Doughnut Economics in policy, business, and place-based contexts, supporting decision-making that balances social foundations with ecological limits through evidence-informed, adaptable methodologies.
Online tool/database

A path to post-growth pensions: How rethinking retirement savings could help us ensure wellbeing for all

Arketa Institute for Post-Growth Finance
This report examines how pension systems reliant on perpetual economic growth face systemic financial, social and environmental risks. It proposes reorienting pensions towards a post-growth framework, emphasising wellbeing and multicapital outcomes over financial returns alone, and outlines pathways and barriers for pension fund reform.
Research
14 January 2026

From promise to performance: Reforming blended finance for scale

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment
This report examines why blended finance has failed to scale in emerging markets. Drawing on expert interviews and analysis, it identifies structural barriers and proposes reforms to improve transparency, risk pricing, liquidity, project pipelines and additionality, aiming to better mobilise private capital.
Research
2 July 2025

National ecological footprint and biocapacity accounts series

Footprint data foundation
This series provides consistent national and global accounts of ecological footprint and biocapacity, tracking resource demand and regenerative capacity over time. It supports comparative analysis across countries and years, using harmonised methods and internationally sourced data to inform sustainability assessment and policy analysis.
Benchmark/series
22 April 2025

Women’s equality in the workplace series

Equileap
This research series examines workplace gender equality across publicly listed companies using a consistent assessment framework. It evaluates corporate policies, practices, and disclosures related to gender balance, pay equity, leadership representation, and inclusion to support comparative analysis and responsible investment decision-making.
Benchmark/series
6 March 2025

State of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector series

The World Bank
This series provides an overview of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector, examining its structure, operating context, and governance considerations. It explores economic, social, environmental, and regulatory dimensions to support informed analysis, comparison, and ongoing assessment of developments across the sector over time.
Benchmark/series
23 April 2024

Global rights index series

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
This benchmark series provides an annual, country-level assessment of how governments and employers respect internationally recognised labour rights. It offers a consistent framework to compare workers’ rights protections across regions and over time, supporting analysis of legal conditions, enforcement practices, and systemic risks affecting working people.
Benchmark/series
27 May 2025

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

Other
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is a global trade union federation representing national union centres worldwide. It advocates for workers’ rights, democracy, and social justice through research, policy advocacy, and campaigns. ITUC publishes the Global Rights Index and engages with governments, employers, and multilateral institutions on labour standards globally issues.
Organisation
1 research item

Wales' wellbeing economy journey

Centre for Policy Development (CPD)
This case study details the 15-year policy journey in Wales to embed sustainable development into government functions, starting with the Government of Wales Act 1998. Developed legislation along the way established clear accountability mechanisms, including the Future Generations Commissioner, to ensure public bodies actively contribute to seven defined wellbeing goals.
Case study
27 August 2022

Advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment: Target setting guidance for banks

United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI)
This guidance outlines how banks can set and implement measurable targets to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment across leadership, portfolios, financial inclusion and ecosystems, aligned with the Principles for Responsible Banking and Women’s Empowerment Principles.
Research
13 December 2024
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