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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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

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

Mobilising investment for climate adaptation

Institute of Actuaries of Australia
This report assesses Australia’s escalating climate risks and argues for scaling adaptation investment. It recommends improved valuation methods, a nationally coordinated adaptation investment framework, and diversified public-private financing mechanisms to reduce long-term economic damage and enhance resilience.
Research
21 November 2025

Limited accountability and awareness of corporate emissions target outcomes

The study analyses 1,041 corporate emissions targets ending in 2020, finding limited accountability. Thirty-one per cent of targets disappeared and 9% failed, with minimal disclosure, media attention or market penalties. By contrast, target announcements improved media sentiment and ESG scores, raising concerns for future climate targets.
Research
21 January 2025

Climate and catastrophe insight series

Aon
The Climate and Catastrophe Insight is an annual research series that provides a consistent global view of natural disaster activity and climate-related catastrophe trends. It examines impacts on people, assets and economies to support risk assessment, resilience planning and long-term decision-making.
Benchmark/series
23 January 2026

The visionary CEO’s guide to sustainability series

Bain & Company
The Visionary CEO’s Guide to Sustainability is a series of annual research reports examining how senior executives integrate sustainability into core strategy, operations, and decision-making. The series explores leadership responses to evolving environmental, regulatory, technological, and market pressures, with a focus on practical execution and long-term business resilience.
Benchmark/series
9 September 2025

Net Zero Asset Managers' target disclosures series

Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAM)
The Net Zero Asset Managers Target Disclosures is a reporting series that tracks how participating asset managers set, disclose, and update net zero targets over time. It provides a consistent, initiative-wide view of commitments, disclosure practices, governance arrangements, and methodological approaches across reporting years.
Benchmark/series
31 July 2024

Plastic promises scorecard series

As You Sow
The Corporate Plastic Pollution Scorecard is a benchmark series that assesses how large consumer-facing companies address plastic packaging responsibility. It reviews corporate policies, commitments, disclosures, and practices across key areas of packaging design, reuse, recycled content, transparency, recycling support, and producer responsibility, enabling consistent comparison over time.
Benchmark/series
12 June 2024
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