This research primer examines the risks and motivations behind corporate political activity. It highlights how indirect donations through third-party groups can lead to reputational misalignment and potential corruption. The report advocates for robust board oversight and transparency, recommending the CPA-Zicklin Framework to align political spending with core values.

Lead generation in Australia's digital economy has become a significant source of consumer harm, involving the harvesting of contact details for sales pitches. This report examines manipulative practices that manufacture consent to avoid consumer protections, highlighting the $1 billion loss from the First Guardian and Shield Master Funds collapse.

This 2026 research identifies a shift toward a pragmatic era in corporate sustainability, dominated by regulatory compliance. Key findings reveal a disconnect between sustainability teams and executives, stagnant budgets, and a focus on direct operations. AI adoption is rising for reporting, though formal governance remains nascent.

This report investigates the influence of fossil fuel companies and trade associations on US carbon market regulations. It details extensive lobbying in California and representative roles at the federal level, arguing that these efforts maintain low-quality credits to delay genuine decarbonisation and enable greenwashing.

The Corruption Perceptions Index is a global benchmark series assessing perceived public sector corruption levels across 182 countries and territories. Produced by Transparency International, the index draws on independent data to provide comparative scores, assisting stakeholders in identifying governance risks and evaluating the effectiveness of anti-corruption reforms and institutional integrity.

An analysis of the 2017 French Duty of Vigilance Law’s impact on corporate ESG and financial performance. Using difference-in-differences analysis, the study finds a significant negative association with social and environmental ESG scores, suggesting the law reduces rating "gaming" or prompts the production of more realistic risk disclosures.

IPIS and IBGDH mapped 51 artisanal copper and cobalt mines in Lualaba, DRC, employing an estimated 109,000 miners. The study finds few viable designated zones, cooperative elite capture, tension with industrial concessions, unsafe conditions, child labour and extortion by state agents, and recommends creating legal spaces for artisanal miners.

This research analyses Directive (EU) 2026/470 (Omnibus I Directive), which simplifies the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. It examines how narrowing regulatory scope and removing substantive obligations impacts the balance between sustainability, simplification, and harmonisation within the European Union's financial framework.

This research analyses AI provider liability for dual-use models enabling both cyberattacks and defence. It demonstrates that while liability can improve welfare by reducing contest resources through higher prices, it may increase harm by weakening precautions. Market competition and guardrail incentives significantly influence optimal liability shares.

This report identifies the misalignment between institutional mandates and climate risk expectations. It distinguishes between planetary, economic and financial risks, outlining six distinct responses. The authors argue that current frameworks distract from real-economy decarbonisation and shift climate costs onto public balance sheets, requiring clearer policy distinctions and instruments.

An independent review of governance across five leading climate standard-setters: GHGP, GRI, ISO, ISSB, and SBTi. The report evaluates structures, finance, and independence, identifying strengths and transparency gaps. It offers recommendations to enhance accountability, resource governance effectively, and ensure long-term credibility for net zero objectives.

This report explores emerging themes in digital-era public financial management (PFM) for 2026. It examines the integration of artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, and earth observation to improve fiscal oversight, tax administration, and public welfare, while highlighting risks from declining international aid and proprietary software lock-in.

This report examines the exploitation of African migrant workers within the United Arab Emirates' e-commerce and delivery sectors. It details systemic abuses including recruitment debt, deceptive contracts, and excessive working hours, highlighting how subcontracting models fragment accountability. The findings advocate for stronger international labour standards to protect vulnerable platform workers.

This research analyses the transition of sustainability disclosures from voluntary practices to mandatory legal frameworks in the US and EU. It examines the 'greenwashing enforcement gap' and argues that aspirational signalling, despite inaccuracies, can drive institutional change and attract a prosocial workforce to improve corporate conduct.

This report distils lessons from 25 organisations on leveraging technology to strengthen human rights due diligence in value chains. It categorises various tools, provides case studies, and outlines practical steps for responsible AI adoption, emphasising that technology must complement, rather than replace, human judgement and meaningful stakeholder engagement.

IESBA’s final pronouncement establishes ethics and independence standards for sustainability assurance by introducing Part 5 to the Code. It outlines five fundamental principles and a conceptual framework to address threats, alongside requirements for tax planning, responding to non-compliance, and leader rotation for public interest entities.