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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FIRMS Fire Information for Resource Management System
NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) provides global near-real-time satellite data on active fires and thermal anomalies, viewable via interactive maps, alerts and downloadable files. It uses MODIS and VIIRS instruments to detect fire locations and deliver data within hours for monitoring, analysis and decision-making.
The twin transition century
This paper argues that Europe’s green transition depends on aligning digital transformation with sustainability goals. It outlines how digital research can both reduce its own environmental footprint and enable climate action, calling for long-term, interdisciplinary research investment and coordinated EU policy.
Climate risk index series
The Climate Risk Index is an annual benchmark series that compares countries’ exposure and vulnerability to extreme weather events using a consistent, historical, data-driven framework. Across all editions, it supports comparative assessment of physical climate risk over time and informs policy, risk analysis, and climate-aware financial decision-making.
Engaging the ICT sector on human rights series
This is a series of sector-wide risk assessment briefings for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. It examines salient human rights issues linked to ICT business models and technologies, providing a consistent analytical framework to support investor assessment, engagement, and governance analysis across multiple thematic areas.
Tools for circularity
This report outlines practical tools to help mining and metals companies integrate circular economy principles. It explains business drivers, regulatory context, metrics, and case studies, supporting financial and non-financial business cases for improved resource efficiency, value retention, and responsible production.
How the circular economy can revive the sustainable development goals: Priorities for immediate global action, and a policy blueprint for the transition to 2050
This report argues that embedding circular economy principles within the Sustainable Development Goals could revive stalled progress. It outlines five global policy priorities and proposes a 2050 blueprint linking circularity, inclusive growth, trade, finance and standards to post-2030 development agendas.
Food systems investing in East Africa: The roles of funds in financing food systems transformation
This report analyses 23 impact funds investing in East African food systems, assessing their design, impact alignment, and financing roles. It identifies gaps, good practices, and recommendations to strengthen agroecological and regenerative food systems investing.
New approaches and challenges regarding trade, climate action, and the WTO
The report analyses how WTO trade rules can support climate action. It assesses tools such as border carbon adjustments, standards, subsidies and technology policy, identifying legal gaps, development impacts and the need for coordinated reforms to align multilateral trade governance with climate objectives.
Assessing the credibility of a company’s transition plan: framework and guidance
This report presents a harmonised framework to assess the credibility of corporate climate transition plans. It defines core plan elements, assessment principles, and a four-step process to evaluate ambition, feasibility, consistency, governance, and financial alignment with Paris-aligned decarbonisation pathways.
Defining climate finance justice: Critical geographies of justice amid financialized climate action
The article defines “climate finance justice” as a framework for analysing how financialised climate action shapes equity, power, and outcomes. It critiques climate finance mechanisms, including UNFCCC processes and voluntary carbon markets, and argues for justice-centred approaches that address historical responsibility, governance, and uneven impacts.
Time to plan for a future beyond 1.5 degrees
The report argues that limiting warming to 1.5°C is no longer realistic and may hinder preparedness. It calls for acknowledging higher warming scenarios, accelerating mitigation, and adopting disruptive policy, financial, and governance approaches to manage climate and nature risks in a likely 2°C-plus world.
The 13th national risk assessment: Climate, The 6th “C” of Credit
The report analyses US climate-driven mortgage risk, showing floods as the dominant driver of post-disaster foreclosures. Rising insurance costs, coverage gaps and falling property values create hidden credit losses. It argues climate risk should be treated as a sixth core credit assessment factor.
Global investor commission on mining 2030
The report outlines an investor-led 10-year vision for a responsible, resilient mining sector. It sets goals to align capital, governance and stewardship with social and environmental standards, supporting mineral supply for the low-carbon transition while managing risk and long-term value.
Discourses of climate delay
The report identifies twelve “climate delay” discourses that accept climate change yet justify inaction. It groups them into four strategies—redirecting responsibility, promoting non-transformative solutions, emphasising policy downsides, and surrendering to inevitability—and offers a typology to recognise and counter these arguments.
Who do we trust on climate change, and why?
Based on survey data from 6,479 respondents across 13 countries, the study finds trust in climate communication depends on source and messenger traits. Scientists rank highest among believers, while friends and family dominate overall trust. Clarity, shared values and sincerity strongly predict trust, with marked differences between believers and sceptics.
Germanwatch
Germanwatch is an independent development, environmental and human rights non-governmental organisation advocating sustainable global development based on social equity, ecological protection and economic stability. It influences climate, trade and corporate policy, produces research and indices like the Climate Change Performance Index, and promotes fair, equitable climate action globally.