The 'Project SAGE' series are benchmark reports released by the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, tracks venture capital, private equity, and private debt investments with a gender lens. The project's goal was to provide a “point in time” capture of the expanding gender lens investing opportunities globally.

An analysis drawing on a decade of environmental, social and governance (ESG) research to discuss theories of influence, the relationship between ESG and corporate value, and the usefulness of ESG assessments and ratings. The report aims to debunk myths associated with ESG as a commonly used evaluation within businesses and society.

The Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles (SLLP) were originally published in 2019 and provide a framework to what is recognised as an increasingly important area of finance. A sustainability-linked loan is one that incentivises borrowers to improve sustainability performance targets. This guidance note should be read alongside the SLLP.

The Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles (SLLP), originated in 2019 to provide a framework for this growing area of finance. This summary reviews the SLLP and its five core components. The SLLP have been developed by an experienced working party consisting of representatives from leading financial institutions.

The practice of greenwashing is a key regulatory concern in the UK, EU and globally. Greenwashing involves making misleading statements about sustainable products. This report examines how greenwashing occurs and the regulatory initiatives that have emerged to combat this. The report provides five steps firms can take to prevent greenwashing.

This report examines the use of artificial intelligence technologies to analyse environmental, social and governance ("ESG") data for investments in emerging markets. It gives a detailed account of an experiment conducted to determine the effectiveness of such technologies in analysing the ESG performance of emerging markets issuers.

This report describes how a market for mainstream investments that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), could be created with enough liquidity, scale, and diversification, to attract a range of investors. It inspires and guides companies, governments, and cities, to benefit from better funding while implementing the Paris Goals.

Small and growing businesses (SGBs) have significant and positive impact on emerging and frontier markets. This report proposes a new segmentation framework to help service providers, enterprises, donors, limited partners (LPs) and field-building organisations understand and navigate the complex landscape of SGB investment in frontier and emerging markets.

This report presents a global review of nature-based solutions (NbS), identifying and analysing 88 existing NbS investments between 2002 to 2021. The report identifies common trends of existing investments, both opportunities and barriers to NbS investments and suggests recommendations to institutional investors and policymakers.

The report examines whether laws within eleven diverse jurisdictions support institutional investors in pursuing sustainability outcomes, while at the same time earning a financial return. It discusses options available to policymakers for legal reform in order to facilitate investing for sustainability impact.

This report presents the “Global ESG disclosure standards for investment products” developed by the CFA Institute to facilitate fair representation and full disclosure by investment managers in relation to how environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) issues are considered in an investment product’s objectives, investment process or stewardship activities.

This report focuses on the decarbonisation of listed equity portfolios in Australia, outlining current investor initiatives and commitments to support decarbonisation and energy transition. The report discusses carbon exposure metrics, company engagement and divestment strategies, and investing in climate solutions.

This report explores strategies to better align institutional asset owners with asset managers when managing impact expectations and outcomes. When institutional investors incorporate impact, they can mitigate issues that threaten the long-term value of their assets, and leverage their capital to help address the world's most intractable challenges.

This 2020 report presents the results from a survey that assesses whether a risk differential can be detected between green, non-green and brown financial assets (loans and bonds). Based on information obtained by 49 banks, it presents a snapshot of current practices among financial institutions in their asset allocation.

This paper discusses how current institutional investing practices and asset allocation strategies conflict with ESG objectives. It encourages institutional investors to review their systematic risk-management practices and recommends the diversification of asset allocation to more regenerative investment structures and asset classes.

This report is a study of the enabling environment for financial inclusion in 55 low to middle income countries. It focuses on the role of financial inclusion in terms of how governments in those countries responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.