This guide aims to assist institutional investors in navigating the evolving landscape of nature-based finance. It offers practical insights into various investment opportunities, showcasing case studies that exemplify best practices and innovative approaches in nature investments.

The 2024 XDI report ranks over 2,600 regions worldwide according to the projected damage to the built environment from extreme weather and climate change, including floods, wildfires and sea-level rises, and which of these regions are likely to see the largest escalation in damage from 1990 to 2050.

This report discusses the challenges in ESG investing for emerging markets due to varying standards in regulations and reporting. It also covers the importance of sovereign engagement and incorporating biodiversity in investment decisions. The lack of standardisation in data and regulation presents difficulties in generating sustainable investments.

The report illustrates increased NGO reporting, land use, and biodiversity incidents linked to industrial firms. With 31% of companies having no official management initiatives, investors are eager to address portfolio risks from biodiversity loss and deforestation. The report connects land use and biodiversity controversies with various risks, including operational, credit, market, physical, and systemic.

The global bond market is crucial for the achievement of the Paris Agreement's climate goals. This report analyses the alignment of corporate bonds with these goals while identifying challenges and proposing potential solutions, including the use of asset-level data and revaluation of benchmarks.

This report explores the use of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) analysis as a potential risk-reducing and return-enhancing tool for investors in developed-country sovereign bonds. The report suggests that ESG factors are material to both creditworthiness and investment performance.

This essay provides a framework for sustainable finance. The author argues that sustainable finance considers financial, social, and environmental returns in combination and develops guidelines for governing sustainable finance. Major obstacles are short-termism and insufficient private efforts.

This report outlines key components for a credible corporate transition plan aligned with net-zero pledges under the Net Zero Investment Framework (NZIF). The guidance aims to help investors assess corporate emissions targets and progress towards decarbonisation. It is designed to be applicable across different sectors and geographies.

This study shows the theoretical and empirical existence of a tipping point for changing social conventions. Minority groups can overturn established behaviour by reaching a critical mass, expected to vary depending on social setting. The findings offer insight for organizations with potential shifts in conventional behaviour.

This assessment evaluates the approaches of six leading pesticide companies toward addressing biodiversity loss. None of the companies has committed to phasing out highly hazardous pesticides, and progress in reporting and disclosure is limited. Investors are urged to heed recommendations and use the report to guide engagements.

This report explores why and how institutional investors engage with governments and the challenges they face in the process. The authors analyse 11 case studies and identify drivers such as managing investment risks and fulfilling fiduciary duties, as well as challenges like limited influence on governments. The findings contribute to the sustainable finance and public policy literature.

This report provides definitions for different responsible investment approaches - Screening, ESG Integration, Thematic Investing, Stewardship, and Impact Investing. It aims to standardise terminology, enabling investors to communicate their responsible investment practices with clarity, consistency, and confidence.

India's thermal power sector holds $40-60bn of non-performing or stranded assets, taking away capital from critical sustainable investment. Low-cost renewable energy and a reliance on coal-fired generation is creating difficulties for the banking sector. The economics of low-cost renewables will bring significant financial implications for the country's thermal power reliance.

This report shows how investment in renewable energy can reduce exposure to volatile electricity prices and future price hikes. Over 46,000 businesses have already invested in large solar installations, and 40% of businesses are considering similar initiatives. Local and State Governments are also supporting business investment in clean, affordable and reliable renewable energy.

This report offers a global overview of social enterprise responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. It identifies innovation and agility as critical factors for survival. However, it notes that women-led and youth-led social enterprises face higher closure rates, greater reductions in activity, and more limited access to government support.

The report emphasizes the role of responsible business in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlights the importance of local networks in mobilizing a global movement of companies committed to advancing the SDGs through capacity-building, awareness-raising, and collaboration.