Library | ESG issues
Water Management
Sustainable water management ensures the availability and quality of water for current and future generations by balancing economic, social, and environmental needs. This approach involves efficient water use, protection of ecosystems, and equitable distribution, addressing challenges such as scarcity, pollution, and climate change impacts. Investors can work with companies to manage water responsibly by encouraging better water use, supporting efforts to protect ecosystems, and promoting practices that ensure water resources are used efficiently and sustainably.
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Weekly cat report: Review of global catastrophe activity
This series provides a weekly review of global catastrophe activity, covering meteorological events and preliminary financial loss estimates. It tracks natural disasters such as severe convective storms, flooding, and landslides across multiple regions to assist in risk assessment. This report is part of a regular series.
WWF Risk Filter Suite
A free online screening suite from WWF featuring Water and Biodiversity Risk Filters. It helps financial institutions and companies identify nature-related physical and regulatory risks across portfolios using 80+ global datasets.
Coller FAIRR seafood index methodology: May 2026
The Coller FAIRR Seafood Index Methodology outlines the framework for assessing 20 global companies across 16 material topics. It details a bottom-up scoring process, ranging from 0 to 100, and a four-step production cycle. The index measures corporate maturity in response to environmental and social risks in the seafood industry.
A novel multilevel conceptual framework for flood risk governance
This research introduces a multilevel framework integrating flood hazard modelling, social vulnerability assessments, and risk communication. Designed for data-scarce environments, it addresses analytical silos by treating communication as a coequal component. The framework supports equitable decision-making through consequence-oriented risk surfaces and transparent uncertainty representation for municipal planning.
Ocean investment protocol: 2026 revised draft for consultation: A multi-stakeholder plan to enable funding for the Sustainable Ocean Economy
This report provides a framework for scaling finance towards a sustainable ocean economy. It outlines recommendations for financial institutions, insurers, governments, and central banks to manage risks and capture opportunities. The protocol aims to mobilise the US$1 trillion required by 2030 to protect marine ecosystems and ensure prosperity.
A well-adapted UK: The fourth independent assessment of UK climate risk (CCRA4-IA)
This report assesses the UK’s climate risks to 2050, identifies priority adaptation actions across key sectors, and outlines investment, policy and governance measures to strengthen resilience. It provides evidence-based recommendations to support climate adaptation planning and reduce long-term economic and societal impacts.
Navigating towards water resilience: An introductory guide for central bankers, financial supervisors and regulators
This WWF Greening Financial Regulation Initiative guide introduces central banks, financial supervisors and regulators to the financial risks posed by the global water crisis. It covers physical, transition and systemic risks, emerging responses from the financial sector, available assessment tools, and policy recommendations for integrating water risks into supervisory frameworks.
How to use consensus state of nature metrics to understand business dependencies on ecosystem services
This briefing note explains how businesses and financial institutions can configure the NPI consensus State of Nature metrics to understand their dependencies on ecosystem services. It outlines a four-step practical process, identifies where the metrics provide strong insight, and highlights where complementary indicators are needed.
Making water use in global trade more sustainable: The challenge to improve supply-chain resilience and water security in the context of geopolitical change
This Chatham House paper examines how global supply chains drive unsustainable water use and water insecurity, particularly in the Global South. It explores 'virtual water' trade dynamics, the impact of geopolitical fragmentation on cooperative water governance, and presents 10 recommendations for governments, corporations, financial institutions and civil society.
2025 Water sector engagement report
Royal London Asset Management's 2025 report presents findings from a two-year engagement programme with 11 UK water utility companies across four pillars: climate change adaptation, biodiversity, affordability, and antimicrobial resistance. Nearly all companies showed improvement from baseline scores, with biodiversity recording the most notable progress.
Applying TNFD nature-related metrics in the fishing sector: Insights from investors and industry
TNFD guidance for the fishing sector outlines how investors and seafood companies use nature-related metrics to assess risks, disclosure and stewardship. Findings highlight growing demand for traceability, stock health and bycatch data, while noting certification interoperability, persistent data gaps and emerging access to blue finance instruments.
Climate risks to Syria’s urban water and sanitation systems
Syria’s urban water and sanitation systems face rising climate-driven water scarcity, infrastructure damage and growing demand. The report recommends integrated water management, infrastructure rehabilitation, agricultural water efficiency, wastewater reuse and stronger governance to reduce future water insecurity, contamination risks and maladaptive investment.
Building the financial case for urban adaptation: Guidance and case studies
C40 and Rebel outline how cities can structure urban adaptation projects to attract private finance, using ten case studies. Bankability depends on revenue logic, risk allocation, public de-risking, early financier engagement and credible monitoring.
The thematic assessment report on the interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food and health
IPBES assesses links between biodiversity, water, food, health and climate, finding siloed decisions worsen trade-offs. It identifies integrated governance, sustainable consumption, ecosystem restoration and finance reform as response options to support more just and sustainable outcomes.
Climate finance as a catalyst for peace
Research across 85 developing countries found climate finance was associated with lower resource-related conflict risk, particularly through reduced water scarcity and greater renewable energy access. The study suggests climate finance may support stability in fragile regions, with stronger effects observed where higher funding levels were directed towards adaptation and social infrastructure.
Finding investment opportunities in the global response to water stress
Examines investment opportunities arising from global water stress, focusing on infrastructure renewal, risk management and efficiency gains. Outlines how investors can identify growth across asset classes and technologies addressing water scarcity, supporting resilience, cost reduction and long-term economic trends.
