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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United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) outlines the individual and collective rights of Indigenous Peoples globally. It addresses issues such as cultural preservation, land rights, and self-determination, ensuring that Indigenous Communities are protected and respected. The declaration aims to promote their well-being, participation in decision-making, and control over their development.
  
  
IFC performance standard 7: Indigenous Peoples
The IFC Performance Standard 7 provides guidelines for engaging with Indigenous Peoples to ensure respect for their rights, cultures, and traditional knowledge in development projects. It aims to achieve free, prior, and informed consent, mitigate adverse impacts, and foster benefits-sharing, ensuring sustainable and culturally appropriate development while reducing risks and enhancing relationships between investors, developers, and indigenous communities.
  
  
Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits
The Nagoya Protocol is an international agreement under the Convention on Biological Diversity, aiming to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources. It enhances legal certainty and transparency for providers and users of these resources, promoting sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity while respecting traditional knowledge and contributing to global environmental and development goals.
  
  
Mo’otz Kuxtal guidelines
The Mo’otz Kuxtal Guidelines provide a framework for obtaining free, prior, and informed consent from Indigenous communities regarding the use of their traditional knowledge. For investors and financial institutions, these guidelines can inform corporate engagement on FPIC and help to identify and mitigate legal and reputational risks.
  
  
The Tkarihwaié: RI code of ethical conduct to endure respect for the cultural and intellectual heritage of indigenous and local communities
Developed in consultation with Indigenous Peoples, this code of ethical conduct aims to ensure respect for the cultural and Intellectual Heritage of Indigenous and Local Communities relevant to the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity. The code is intended to provide a collaborative framework ensuring the effective participation and prior informed consent or involvement and approval of indigenous and local communities in activities, including research proposed, on their knowledge, territories and related resources.
  
  
Akwé: Kon guidelines
Developed in consultation with Indigenous Peoples, this document contains voluntary guidelines for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact assessments regarding developments proposed to take place on, or which are likely to impact on, sacred sites and on lands and waters traditionally occupied or used by indigenous and local communities.
  
  
Guidance on engagement with Indigenous Peoples, local communities and affected stakeholders
This document provides guidance for organisations when identifying their nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities. It outlines the foundation of international standards, guidelines and frameworks, in particular the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The guidance document's key focus areas include guidance for meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples, Local Communitas (IPLC) & affected stakeholders, preparation for engagement, and incorporate of engagement into action.
  
  
Pensions in the age of artificial intelligence
The report explores how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can address challenges in global pension systems. It highlights AI's potential to enhance governance, personalisation, fraud prevention, and investment strategies while emphasising ethical implementation and data privacy considerations to optimise retirement outcomes and ensure system sustainability.
  
  
Environmental impact of digital assets
The report highlights the environmental impact of digital assets, focusing on energy-intensive proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanisms in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It underscores significant carbon emissions and advocates transitioning to less energy-demanding models, renewable energy use, and cross-border cooperation. Policy recommendations include targeted regulation, enhanced data transparency, and leveraging distributed ledger technologies for sustainable finance.
  
  
Reframing child labour due diligence for businesses and investors in increasingly regulated and resilience challenged supply chains
The report explores reframing child labour due diligence in supply chains, emphasising systemic solutions, collaboration, and addressing root causes. It critiques current top-down models, highlighting their inefficiencies and unintended consequences. 
  
  
Digital business world and ethical dilemmas: A systematic literature review
This report systematically reviews ethical challenges in the digital business world, focusing on the intersection of digitalisation, corporate responsibility, and technology adoption. It highlights ethical dilemmas, such as AI transparency and sustainability, emphasising the need for tailored ethical guidelines to foster trust, innovation, and social responsibility in digital transformations.
  
  
Harnessing digital finance for sustainability: An integrative review and research agenda
The report reviews the role of digital finance in advancing sustainability goals through bibliometric and thematic analysis of 168 studies. It identifies key themes like financial inclusion, green finance, and fintech, proposing a conceptual framework to align digital innovation with sustainable development, fostering eco-friendly investments, and promoting global financial inclusion.
  
  
Green fintech: Sustainability of Bitcoin
The report examines Bitcoin's environmental sustainability within the Green FinTech framework. It highlights Bitcoin's significant energy consumption during mining, correlating positively with miner revenue. While offering financial inclusivity, Bitcoin's carbon emissions challenge its environmental credentials. The study advocates for renewable energy adoption in cryptocurrency mining to align with sustainability goals.
  
  
The hidden environmental cost of cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin mining impacts climate, water and land
Bitcoin mining has significant environmental impacts, driven by its reliance on electricity-intensive processes. In 2020-2021, mining consumed 173 TWh of electricity, primarily from fossil fuels, and emitted 86 Mt CO2, contributing to climate change, water scarcity, and land use issues. Global regulatory action is urgently needed. 
  
  
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.