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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Do socially responsible firms walk the talk?
The paper called for a focus on delivering value to all stakeholders rather than just shareholders, was met with scepticism. This paper finds no evidence that signatories, many of America’s largest firms, engaged in stakeholder-centric practices before or after signing. Furthermore, signatories violate environmental and labour laws more frequently than their peers.
At the crossroads: 10 years of implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Australia
The report examines the implementation and impact of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in Australia over the past decade.
Sustainable investing: Establishing long-term value and performance
The study finds that corporations with a commitment to sustainable investing have superior risk-adjusted returns. While fund managers face challenges in capturing the outperformance with some exceptions, they have not generally underperformed. Integrated reporting can be used to improve the transparency and accuracy of ESG information.
Unlocking investment capital for Indigenous Peoples
This paper tackles the challenges faced by Indigenous communities in accessing investment capital. It explores capital requirements and common barriers to obtaining the necessary funding, providing recommendations to fill gaps in access, provide support, and facilitate positive partnerships.
Renewable energy and Indigenous people
This paper outlines challenges and opportunities for Indigenous Australians in adopting renewable energy, emphasising successful partnerships with experienced developers. It stresses the importance of building knowledge and capability at various project scales and recommends support mechanisms to empower Indigenous communities in advancing their renewable energy projects.
Investor ESG guide on private security and human rights
This investor guide highlights that private security-related adverse human rights impacts are common and typically include excessive use of force, unfair working conditions and sexual exploitation. As fiduciaries, institutional investors are obligated to identify and mitigate these potential adverse impacts.
Climate poverty connections: Opportunities for synergistic solutions at the intersection of planetary and human well-being
The report highlights co-benefits of climate solutions that also improve human well-being. The report focuses on sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia and shows the potential of environmental solutions to help relieve poverty. It also recommends further evaluation on existing solutions and assessing unintended consequences.
Diversity in action: How to sustain the financial planning profession
This paper contains case studies from select firms, outlining their actions towards diversifying their workforce and delivering scalable insights for replicating their successes. A key resource for increasing diversity and inclusion in the financial planning profession.
Investor climate action plans (ICAPs): Guidance on using the expectations ladder
This report provides guidance to investors on using the ICAPs Expectations Ladder to disclose their climate action plans. It covers investment, corporate engagement, policy advocacy, investor disclosure, and governance with specific recommendations. The report includes a glossary of terms and maps existing disclosures to the Ladder's expectations.
A conceptualisation of sub-living wages: Liabilities, leverage, and risk
This report proposes an alternative approach for organisations to account for wages paid below the local living wage level through a firm's balance sheet, creating leverage effect as the organisation borrows from society, reflecting higher stakeholder risk. This can help investors, policymakers, customers, corporate managers and other stakeholders to assess an organisation's exposure to human capital erosion.
Guidance and questionnaire for assessing client sustainability preferences and motivations
This report presents guidelines for investment firms to assess client sustainability preferences and motivations, and select financial products accordingly. The guidance outlines a three-step process toward a product recommendation and identifies keyword categories of sustainability preferences and motivational characteristics.
Integrating nutrition and obesity prevention considerations into institutional investment decisions regarding food companies: Australian investment sector perspectives
This study investigates views of stakeholders in the Australian investment sector on the incorporation of nutrition and obesity prevention considerations within institutional investment decision-making regarding food companies and identifies several key challenges and opportunities to the integration of nutrition and obesity prevention considerations.
Intangible cultural heritage, diverse knowledge systems, and climate change
This paper explores the relationship between climate change, different knowledge systems, culture, and heritage. It discusses the importance of a historical perspective, defines and describes different knowledge systems, and addresses the limitations of the predominant scientific approach. It also presents a framework for collaboration among plural knowledge systems.
Putting pandemics behind us: Investing in one health to reduce risks of emerging infectious diseases
This report discusses One Health, an approach that recognises the interdependent nature of human, animal, and environmental health. It presents an investment framework designed to mobilise finance for pandemic prevention and reduce the risks of emerging infectious diseases.
Amazonia against the clock: Regional assessment on where and how to protect 80% by 2025
The report assesses the current state of the key priority areas in the Amazon and outlines the urgent actions that need to be taken to save the Amazon rainforest and mitigate climate change.
Indigenous business growth: Working together to realise potential
New report says that increasing support for Indigenous businesses could, in turn, lead to prosperity for all Australians. A higher level of commitment and collaboration from both business and government is required. Challenges facing Indigenous businesses include start-up funding, skills and support systems and lack of demand for services.