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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AI in your portfolio: Risks & opportunities

Intentional Endowments Network
Briefing paper outlining AI investment opportunities alongside systemic risks including bias, privacy, workforce disruption and environmental impacts. It highlights governance frameworks, due diligence tools and investor engagement strategies to support responsible AI investment practices and long-term portfolio resilience.
Research
21 April 2026

Hedging ambiguity with pro-social preferences: An illustration from green finance

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
The paper argues that pro-social preferences can offset ambiguity aversion in green finance by acting as a behavioural hedge. Using ambiguity-based investment models, the authors show socially motivated investors may accept uncertain green assets, lowering effective hurdle rates and supporting private capital flows into sustainable projects.
Research
22 April 2026

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Academic Institutions
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a leading research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specialising in science, engineering, technology, artificial intelligence and business education. MIT supports innovation through interdisciplinary research, entrepreneurship and hands-on learning. Its academic programmes, laboratories and global partnerships attract students, researchers and industry collaborators from around the world.
Organisation
1 research item

Goethe University Frankfurt

Academic Institutions
Goethe University Frankfurt is a leading public research university in Germany, offering more than 200 degree programmes across 16 faculties. Based in Frankfurt am Main, Goethe University is recognised for research, international study opportunities, finance, law, medicine and social sciences, attracting students and academics from around the world.
Organisation
1 research item

SAIL: Systems Aware Investing Launchpad

The Investment Integrated Project (TIIP)
SAIL (Systems Aware Investing Launchpad) is an AI-enhanced platform developed by TIIP to support institutional investors in implementing system-level investing strategies. It provides tools for strategy development, benchmarking, reporting and collaboration, helping users assess and manage systemic environmental, social and financial risks.
Online tool/database

2026 Living Wage Dataset

Valuing Impact
The 2026 Living Wage Dataset by Valuing Impact is a free global database covering 217 countries and eight household scenarios. It uses the Anker and Anker methodology with updated cost-of-living data to estimate living wages for urban and rural households, supporting sustainability, labour practice and supply chain analysis.
Online tool/database

Tackling governance and financing for sustainability transitions

International Resource Panel
The report argues current financial systems misallocate capital towards resource-intensive activities, hindering sustainability transitions. It recommends policy, governance and financial reforms to redirect investment towards resource efficiency, low-carbon development and equitable transition pathways, particularly in resource-dependent economies.
Research
6 June 2025

Indigenous wisdom and co-creation towards decolonisation: A review of Indigenous inclusion in management education

This review finds Western business schools have often excluded Indigenous knowledge, and argues decolonising management education requires Indigenous self-determination, truth-telling, trust-building, co-created curricula and relational pedagogies grounded in Indigenous wisdom and communities.
Research
25 April 2026

Free to be exploited: The abuse of platform-based food delivery riders in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Equidem
Report finds migrant delivery riders in Saudi Arabia and UAE face systemic exploitation via third-party logistics, including coercive employment, wage abuses, unsafe conditions, and restricted mobility. Weak enforcement and outsourcing obscure accountability. Recommends stronger regulation, corporate oversight, and international labour standards.
Research
13 April 2026

Equidem

Issue Focused NGOs & Think Tanks
Equidem is an independent human rights and labour rights organisation working globally to expose injustice and support marginalised communities. It conducts research, investigates abuses in supply chains, and promotes accountability. Through advocacy and partnerships, Equidem develops practical solutions to strengthen labour rights, migrant worker protections, and the wider human rights movement.
Organisation
1 research item

Modern slavery and human rights: Policy and evidence centre

Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre
The Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre is a UK-based research initiative that funds and co-creates independent, policy-focused research on modern slavery. It brings together academics, policymakers, businesses and civil society to improve evidence-based laws, policies and practices addressing modern slavery globally.
Research

Our Watch: Change the story and key frameworks

Our Watch
Change the Story is an evidence-based national framework developed by Our Watch to guide the primary prevention of violence against women in Australia. It examines social, economic and cultural drivers of gender inequality and outlines coordinated actions across institutions and communities to address these underlying causes.
Research

Our Watch

Issue Focused NGOs & Think Tanks
Our Watch is an Australian not-for-profit organisation leading primary prevention of violence against women and children. It promotes gender equality through research, frameworks, education and workplace programmes. Initiatives such as “Change the Story” support policy and practice change, helping organisations address drivers of gender-based violence across communities, workplaces and institutions.
Organisation
1 research item

Investor democracy

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
Examines investor democracy in pension funds using deliberative mini-publics and a binding member vote. Finds informed deliberation shifts preferences towards impact investing despite potential lower returns, with broader member support leading to increased allocations, demonstrating how structured participation can guide sustainable investment decisions.
Research
13 February 2026

IFC's performance standards on environmental and social sustainability

International Finance Corporation
The IFC Performance Standards (2012) form part of the Sustainability Framework, setting requirements for clients to identify, manage, and mitigate environmental and social risks in financed projects. They comprise eight standards covering areas such as labour, resource efficiency, biodiversity, and community impacts, and are widely used as a global benchmark for responsible investment.
Research
1 January 2012

Forever wild series

Forever Wild
This series outlines the Forever Wild Initiative’s approach to financing and managing large-scale wilderness landscapes through blended capital models, community co-design, and nature-based enterprises. It documents the development of equitable nature finance structures that integrate conservation, economic activity, and social outcomes across landscapes.
Benchmark/series
27 August 2025
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