This is a synthesis of the key themes from the 2020 Climate Safe Learning Lab convening which the Lab hosted with the Climate Safe Lending Network. It shares insights into what is really going on inside banks when it comes to their speed of climate action.

Climate Safe Lending Network is an international multi-stakeholder collaborative, dedicated to accelerating the decarbonisation of the banking sector to secure a climate-safe world. The network brings together leaders and change-makers from across banks, NGOs, academics, investors, businesses, and policy experts to share insights and explore how to accelerate change.

BankTrack is an international tracking, campaigning and civil support organisation (CSO) targeting private sector commercial banks and their financing activities. They are an integral part of the global community of CSOs focused on the financial sector as a whole (multilateral/national development banks, export credit agencies, private and institutional investors).

Are “green finance" and climate change gaining traction in the Asian financial sector? Asia Research and Engagement (ARE) reviewed the practices of 88 leading financial institutions across Asia-Pacific to find out. Growing momentum is discovered: 28% of banks and 30% of investors have incorporated climate change into their respective policies.

There is consistent evidence of financial services contributing to improved well-being, yet the influence of contextual factors is largely unknown. The theory of change framework identifies several knowledge gaps that funders/researchers can address to develop a more accurate prediction of when financial inclusion policy will generate positive wellbeing outcomes.

The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) is an independent think tank that works to empower poor people to build resilience and capture opportunities through financial services. CGAP is a global partnership of more than 30 leading development organisations working to advance the lives of poor people, especially women, through financial inclusion.

This toolkit guides investors on how to assess a company’s relationship with Indigenous stakeholders and its respect for their cultural heritage. The toolkit explains the impact of those issues on long-term financial value before providing detailed guidance on what investors should look for in a company's disclosure and engagement practices.

Banks continue to finance the global plastics chain, despite the significant risks of lender liability from the impacts of plastic waste. This report highlights the lack of development of any due diligence systems, contingent loan criteria, or financing exclusions at the banks when it comes to the plastic packaging industry.

This report explores the contribution of the banking sector to the biodiversity crisis and the destruction of nature as of 2019. The report ranks the 50 largest banks globally based on their financing of unethical operations, finding a large impact on deforestation, ecosystem destruction and overfishing.

Portfolio Earth is a collective of individuals working to highlight the finance industry’s harmful impact on the environment. It raises awareness of the banking sector’s contribution to environmental degradation with issues including the global biodiversity crisis and plastic packaging pollution.

Addresses the concept of civic energy concerning the municipal ownership of energy systems in the UK and Germany by contrasting their banking systems to demonstrate how social and cultural values have shaped the civic energy sector. In turn, this demonstrates the importance of financial institutions in the low-carbon transition.

Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA) is the trade association, research, standards setting and policy voice for the syndicated corporate loan industry in the United States. LSTA aims to foster fair market practices and promote the highest degree of confidence for investors in floating rate corporate loans.

This report delves into the challenges and degrees of risk facing the oil, gas and thermal coal industry under three different climate scenarios. It was conducted as part of the ET Risk Project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

This report discusses and identifies climate change related litigation risks as drivers and consequences of an energy transition. It presents a taxonomy of those risks and analyses them in the broader context of the financial risk associated with them.

Provides targeted guidance for minority shareholders with investments in public equities and limited partners in private equities on how to identify, prevent, and mitigate risks to human rights defenders throughout their investments. Human rights defenders are individuals who, individually or with others, act peacefully to promote or protect human rights.

This report examines the concept of inclusive business as a means of enabling disadvantaged populations to participate in economic activity and share economic value. The report provides a comprehensive discussion of what an inclusive business initiative comprises and contains examples showing how they address social challenges.