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Still Banking on Coal
Still Banking on Coal is a dataset by Urgewald that tracks global bank financing for the thermal coal industry. It provides transparency on loans and underwriting from over 740 banks, highlighting the gap between climate commitments and actual financial flows.
Global climate investing survey series
Robeco’s Global Climate Investing Survey is an annual research series examining institutional and wholesale investors’ approaches to climate change and sustainable investing. It explores climate-related risks and opportunities, net-zero commitments, portfolio decarbonisation, investment strategies, active ownership and climate transition finance, alongside evolving regulatory and market conditions.
More critical than ever: Strengthening growth and resilience through the multilateral development banks
This report examines the critical role of Multilateral Development Banks in driving growth and resilience. It highlights challenges from declining official aid and geopolitical fragmentation, while proposing reforms to scale financing, accelerate project delivery, and target concessional resources toward the world’s poorest and most vulnerable nations.
Beyond the score - Investor views on ESG ratings
This benchmark series examines investor perceptions of ESG ratings and data. It evaluates provider quality and usefulness, exploring how investment professionals integrate sustainability information into decision-making processes. The research analyses shifting trends in the ESG ratings landscape, considering the impact of regulation and artificial intelligence on the industry.
Thematic notes on clear, fair & not misleading sustainability-related claims: Addressing greenwashing risks in support of sustainable investments: Third note: impact claims
This ESMA report provides guidance on avoiding greenwashing in sustainability impact claims. It outlines four key principles—accuracy, accessibility, substantiation, and timeliness—while defining theoretical concepts like intentionality and additionality. Practical do’s and don’ts for funds and bonds help market participants ensure communications are clear, fair, and not misleading.
State of blended finance series
State of Blended Finance is a research series examining how public, philanthropic and private capital combine to finance sustainable development in emerging markets. It analyses transaction structures, investor participation, capital mobilisation, development impact, market trends and barriers to scaling blended finance.
National development banks: Policy integration for climate
This research analyses the integration of national development banks (NDBs) into climate policies across 103 economies. It highlights that only 17.5% of countries explicitly reference NDBs in climate commitments. The report provides recommendations for governments and NDB leadership to strengthen institutional alignment and improve climate finance effectiveness.
Who bears the transition risk? Uneven climate risk assessment of SMEs across German banking groups
This report examines how German banks assess climate transition risks, specifically for SMEs. It finds that private banks significantly increased risk weights for carbon-intensive firms after 2018, while cooperative and savings banks did not. The reliance on sector-level metrics suggests potential loan mispricing and systemic risks within regional banking groups.
The price of climate talk: Central bank communication, climate governance, and sovereign risk premia
This research examines how central bank climate communication affects 10-year sovereign bond yields. Using a dataset of over 17,000 speeches, it finds that climate-related discourse increases yields by making risks more salient. This effect is stronger in countries with independent central banks, reflecting the role of institutional credibility.
Beyond greenwashing: ESG disclosure substance, investor flows, and fund behavior
This research examines mutual fund ESG disclosures in shareholder letters. It finds that only 'opportunistic' disclosures focused on financial value attract significant investor flows. While aggregate data suggests greenwashing, granular analysis reveals 'impact' disclosures result in genuine portfolio improvements. However, opportunistic claims increase outflow risks if performance disappoints.
Climate governance under pressure: The Anti-ESG movement’s impact on Canadian institutional investors
This report analyses the impact of the US anti-ESG movement on Canadian institutional investors. It examines governance challenges in integrated markets, shifts in proxy voting, and regulatory changes. Despite political spillover, the analysis highlights the resilience of Canadian legal frameworks and the ongoing commitment to climate-risk oversight.
Pricing in resilience: The future of financial services for soil health
This research examines how agricultural finance, markets and policy are transitioning soil health from a conservation goal to a financial metric. It details five forces driving structural carbon demand and seven financial innovations, including carbon warrants and digital verification, designed to reprice risk and unlock institutional capital for regenerative agriculture.
Living with fire and water: Resilience financing for natural infrastructure
This report proposes a resilience-financing architecture to fund natural infrastructure. By wrapping catastrophe bonds with government credit enhancement, it creates a spread to finance landscape-scale mitigation. This mechanism aims to preserve insurability, reduce systemic climate risk, and convert unpriced contingent liabilities into structured, capped financial positions.
The global rise of index-based ownership of firms
This research examines the global expansion of index-based ownership from 2004 to 2023. Using a benchmark-free classification model, the study finds global index ownership reached 16.9% by 2023. It highlights significant regional variations, noting that US ownership is highest in mid-caps, whereas European and Asian indexing remains concentrated in large-cap firms.
International credit to Africa
This research examines the rapid expansion of international credit to Africa since the Global Financial Crisis. It highlights the rise of Chinese lending under the Belt and Road Initiative, the dramatic growth of international bond issuance, and the continued dominance of governments as borrowers in US dollar-denominated markets.
Bank executive compensation and risk-taking
This research investigates bank executive compensation since the Great Financial Crisis. It finds that longer deferral horizons successfully reduce risk-taking and encourage prudent capital management. However, evidence regarding variable pay caps is inconclusive. Case studies from 2023 failures highlight governance shortcomings in risk-adjusting performance metrics and compensation schemes.