Library | ESG issues

Systems Thinking

Systems thinking is a holistic approach to problem-solving that focuses on how different parts of a system interact and influence each other over time. It helps leaders see beyond individual components like departments, markets, or financial statements to understand the broader dynamics, feedback loops, and long-term impacts of decisions. This perspective improves risk management, strategic planning, and operational efficiency by recognising interconnected relationships rather than isolated events.

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Doughnut of social and planetary boundaries monitors a world out of balance series

Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL)
This series presents the Doughnut Economics framework, which assesses economic progress by balancing social foundations with ecological limits. It provides a structured approach to understanding whether human activity meets essential needs while remaining within planetary boundaries, supporting analysis, comparison and application across global, national and local contexts.
Benchmark/series
1 October 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

Nature-related risk and financial implications for investors

Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI)
This investor briefing examines how nature-related physical, transition and system-level risks translate into financial risks for investors. It outlines macroeconomic and company-level impacts, and describes how institutional investors can integrate nature considerations into investment strategies, stewardship and policy engagement.
Research
20 November 2025

Wales' wellbeing economy journey

Centre for Policy Development (CPD)
This case study details the 15-year policy journey in Wales to embed sustainable development into government functions, starting with the Government of Wales Act 1998. Developed legislation along the way established clear accountability mechanisms, including the Future Generations Commissioner, to ensure public bodies actively contribute to seven defined wellbeing goals.
Case study
27 August 2022

More than a buzzword: Mapping interpretations of the ‘polycrisis’

This study analyses how experts interpret “polycrisis” using Q-methodology. It identifies four coherent framings, showing consensus on cross-scale, interconnected crises but disagreement on drivers and governance. The authors argue polycrisis is an analytical lens, not a buzzword, informing sustainability science and policy.
Research
24 December 2025

The global tipping points series

Global Systems Institute (University of Exeter)
The Global Tipping Points Report is a research series examining Earth system tipping points and positive tipping dynamics. It synthesises interdisciplinary evidence on systemic risks, governance considerations and pathways for transformation, supporting decision-makers in understanding non-linear climate and environmental change across global systems.
Benchmark/series
11 October 2025

Planetary health check series

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
The Planetary Health Check is an annual benchmark series providing a consistent, science-based assessment of the Earth system. It applies the Planetary Boundaries framework to monitor planetary stability, resilience, and life-support functions, supporting comparability over time and informing policy, finance, and strategic decision-making and Planetary Boundaries Science is a research lab within the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), focused on advancing scientific understanding of the planetary boundaries framework. It does not operate as an independent organisation and should be covered under PIK’s institutional profile.
Benchmark/series
5 November 2025

Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security: A national security assessment

UK Government
This UK national security assessment finds global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse pose high risks to food security, economic stability and geopolitics. Degradation is widespread, with potential ecosystem collapse from 2030–2050, intensifying migration, conflict, supply chain disruption and strategic competition without decisive intervention.
Research
19 January 2026

The i-frame and the s-frame: How focusing on individual-level solutions has led behavioral public policy astray

The report argues that behavioural public policy has over-emphasised individual-level (“i-frame”) solutions, often aligning with corporate interests and weakening systemic reform. It contends that structural (“s-frame”) interventions, alongside institutional changes in research and policy design, are necessary to address entrenched social and economic problems effectively.
Research
26 September 2025

Portfolios on the ballot

The Shareholder Commons
Portfolios on the Ballot (POTB) is a tool by The Shareholder Commons that tracks shareholder proposals with potential system-wide economic impacts. It supports portfolio-level analysis of proxy votes, focusing on long-term market, social, and environmental risks relevant to diversified investors.
Online tool/database

Impact Thinking Canvas

Valuing Impact
The Impact Thinking Canva is a simple, printable framework to structure impact valuation projects, helping organisations define objectives, map impact pathways, identify key data needs and align stakeholders early in the process. It guides impact measurement and data collection at the start of an impact valuation exercise.
Online tool/database

NatureAlign

Nature Finance
NatureAlign is a decision-support tool by Nature Finance that helps financial institutions identify, assess and respond to nature-related risks and opportunities by aligning portfolios, strategies and governance with nature-positive outcomes.
Online tool/database

Food systems investing in East Africa: The roles of funds in financing food systems transformation

Transformational Investing in Food Systems (TIFS)
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.
Research
1 July 2023

Doing business within planetary boundaries

The Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics
This report argues that corporate reporting must incorporate absolute, location-specific environmental impacts aligned with planetary boundaries. It proposes science-based disclosures and the Earth System Impact score to improve assessment of cumulative nature-related risks, support credible investment decisions, and enhance comparability beyond carbon-focused metrics.
Research
5 November 2024

Time to plan for a future beyond 1.5 degrees

Nature Finance
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.
Research
14 November 2023

Developing an approach to nature risk in financial services

Climate Financial Risk Forum (CFRF)
The report outlines how financial institutions can assess and manage nature-related risks by integrating climate–nature interactions, systemic risk concepts and TNFD-aligned approaches. It highlights data gaps, tipping points, and scenario analysis to support prudent risk management and strategic decision-making.
Research
23 October 2025
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