Library | Sustainable Finance Practices

Active ownership

Active ownership is a component of effective stewardship. It refers to how investors influence the behaviour and practices of investee companies (and, where relevant, borrowers or policyholders) through engagement, proxy voting, and, where necessary, escalation. The aim is to improve ESG performance, foster long-term value creation, and ensure responsible business conduct at the company level.

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Faith in RI

Faith in RI
Faith in RI is a responsible investment platform offering thought leadership, stewardship resources, and networks for asset owners and the investment industry.
Resource hub

Guidance on integrating deforestation into net zero strategies

Institutional Investor Group on Climate Change (IIGCC)
This IIGCC guidance supports institutional investors in integrating deforestation, land conversion, and associated human rights risks into net zero strategies. Aligned with the Net Zero Investment Framework 2.0, it provides practical, asset class-specific action points across listed equity, sovereign bonds, real estate, and private equity and debt.
Research
28 January 2026

Shareholder proposals and corporate governance in a season of regulatory uncertainty

This report analyses the 2025–2026 proxy season following the SEC's suspension of its no-action review process. Shareholders filed approximately 20% fewer proposals; companies filed over 100 fewer exclusion notices. Exclusions disproportionately affected novel and revised proposals, with proponents increasingly turning to litigation and alternative strategies to preserve shareholder rights.
Research
27 April 2026

Retreat or respect? Diverging corporate paths on human rights in a time of turbulence

Business and Human Rights Resource Centre
This BHRC report examines how top US companies are responding to mounting pressure on human rights standards. It identifies three corporate pathways: active deregulatory lobbying by Big Oil and Big Tech, quiet retreat from human rights commitments, and continued adherence. Survey data from April 2026 reveals significant reductions in human rights staffing and budgets.
Research
29 June 2026

Applying planetary boundaries: Effective risk management and value creation

First Sentier MUFG Sustainable Investment Institute
This report examines how the Planetary Boundaries Framework translates nine critical global processes into material risks and value creation opportunities for investors and corporates. Seven of nine boundaries have already been breached. Tools, frameworks, and an investor engagement plan are outlined to support Earth-system-aligned capital allocation and long-term value creation.
Research
19 June 2026

Community engagement, nature and financial materiality: An evidence review on the financial effects of engagement with indigenous peoples and local communities on nature-related issues

Power Shift Africa
This Shift report reviews the financial effects of corporate engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities on nature-related issues. Drawing on over 1,200 cases and approximately 40 publications, it finds that engagement quality is financially material, with poor engagement linked to significant operational, legal, and reputational costs.
Research
1 May 2026

Time to get real: Current and future best practice for investor engagement on climate policy

Volans
This report examines how institutional investors engage on climate policy and sets out guidance for best practice. Drawing on interviews with 70+ individuals and a survey of investors representing approximately USD 33 trillion in AUM, it calls for a shift from disclosure-focused engagement towards real economy policies, and identifies three field-building priorities.
Research
15 June 2026

TIIP: The Investment Integration Project

The Investment Integrated Project (TIIP)
TIIP develops tools and advisory services for system-level investing, helping institutional investors manage systemic risks related to climate change and inequality.
Online tool/database
22 August 2023

The Ocean framework: An investor guide to navigating ocean risks and opportunities

Chronos Sustainability Ltd
This investor guide examines ocean-related risks and opportunities across nine ocean-dependent sectors. It outlines five key drivers of ocean degradation, introduces a seven-step portfolio assessment framework, and provides sector-specific engagement guidance for fisheries, aquaculture and maritime transportation.
Research
8 May 2026

The Swiss investors in the ICE system

BreakFree Suisse
This BreakFree Suisse research note examines Swiss institutional investors — including UBS, SNB, Zurich Insurance, and others — holding billions of dollars in US ICE contractors Palantir, AT&T, Geo Group, and CoreCivic. The report argues these investments conflict with the investors' stated human rights policies and ESG commitments.
Research
6 February 2026

Red lines in the Abyss: Growing financier concern over deep-sea mining

Seas At Risk
This report maps 82 financial institutions — representing approximately EUR 24 trillion in combined assets — that have excluded or expressed concern over deep-sea mining. Published by Seas At Risk and the Deep Sea Mining Campaign, it charts growing financier momentum against deep-sea mining and calls for explicit exclusion policies from both financial institutions and governments.
Research
7 May 2026

Excessive executive compensation: Investor guidance

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)
Published by ICCR in April 2026, this report provides investor guidance on addressing excessive executive compensation. It outlines proxy voting guidelines, pay thresholds, and stewardship frameworks to help investors challenge the growing gap between CEO and worker pay, and promote greater accountability and long-term value creation.
Research
28 April 2026

The benefits of access: Evidence from private meetings with portfolio firms

This paper analyses over 4,700 private meetings between a large active asset manager and portfolio firms using proprietary data from Standard Life Investments (2007–2015). Meetings transmit soft information that influences analyst recommendations and fund manager trading, generating statistically significant abnormal returns and profitable trading decisions.
Research
30 March 2023

Voice without influence? Global investor voting rationale disclosures in Korea

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)
This study examines whether global institutional investors’ voting rationale disclosures influence Korean firms’ gender diversity and climate-related policies. It finds stronger investor focus on board gender diversity than climate risk, limited influence on large firms, greater impact on smaller firms’ emissions reductions, and evidence that voting rationales affect the credibility of sustainability reporting.
Research
17 May 2026

Beyond net zero: The rise of transition plans and what they tell investors

Sustainable Fitch
This Sustainable Fitch report examines the rise of corporate transition plans, driven by regulatory requirements and investor demand. It reviews six mainstream transition planning frameworks, finding alignment on core principles but variation in detail, and analyses around 40 entities, revealing strong Scope 1 and 2 targets but patchy Scope 3 commitments and limited transition revenue.
Research
13 April 2026

Investing in the arms race: The companies building nuclear weapons and their financiers

Impax Asset Management
This report analyses 25 companies producing nuclear weapons and their financial backers. Highlighting over $1 trillion in total investments and financing from 301 institutions, it urges the financial sector to use its leverage to reject nuclear armament and make choices that benefit global security and humanity.
Research
20 April 2026
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