Library | Sustainable Finance Practices
Fixing financial and economic systems
Resources aimed at transforming financial and economic systems to prioritise human well-being, equity, and environmental sustainability. These resources include tools, networks, and guidance on systemic changes such as systems thinking, degrowth, green growth, doughnut economics, decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, and adhering to limits to growth.
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Measuring the economic impact of short-termism
Measures corporate long- and short-termism systematically. Assesses and quantifies the effects of each approach on corporate financial performance and microeconomic growth. Findings show that long-term approaches outperform short-term companies on key economic and financial metrics.
Scaling finance for the Sustainable Development Goals
Explores the role of corporate partnerships and financial intermediaries that can scale finance and increase capital and activities in regions that are key for the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through case studies, it illustrates various pathways for capital markets to maximise SDG investments at acceptable risk levels.
A blueprint for mobilizing finance against slavery and trafficking
The blueprint is the final report of the Liechtenstein Initiative Financial Sector Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. The report covers goals and implementation strategies to strengthen the role of the financial sector in the global effort to end modern slavery and human trafficking, and accelerate action in line with the 2030 Agenda.
The Tobacco Report: How divesting from tobacco affected returns over 20 years
This report discusses the investment performance of investment portfolios containing tobacco companies and those that excluded tobacco companies. The research concludes that there was no statistically different performance between portfolios that included and excluded tobacco companies over the last 20 years.
The dialogue: The impact of climate change on mortality and retirement incomes in Australia
This report analyses climate change risks to Australians’ health and finances to understand the implications climate change poses to insurers, pension providers and policy-makers. Finding that bushfires, heatwaves and infectious illnesses pose risks to human health and finances resulting in higher mortality, lower superannuation balances and lower retirement incomes.
Norden is leading the world on fossil fuel divestment
This briefing examines the world-leading divestment strategies of Nordic countries from the fossil fuel industry. It looks at the current policies of pension funds, insurers, banks, development finance institutions, credit agencies and central banks.
Sustainability, well-being, and economic growth
Substantial reductions in economic growth for environmental and social sustainability may be unnecessary. Policies and market signals are required to conserve natural resources, equally distribute wealth and mitigate the impacts of climate change. It is argued that environmental and social goals are of greater importance in meeting the needs of society than economic development.
Banking beyond coal: Sustainable development without coal finance
This investor briefing investigates the financing of the coal power industry. Highlighting that bank financing continues to facilitate active development of coal power infrastructure, particularly in developing nations, which is incompatible with the Paris Agreement. Additionally, it provides a call to action for investors to engage with their banks to strengthen coal divestment policies.
Fixed income: An introduction to responsible investment
This guide provides an introduction on how investors can consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues when assessing fixed income instruments and their issuers. It outlines options for how to include ESG issues when building a fixed income portfolio and when working with issuers on how they manage ESG issues.
Fixed income investor guide: Putting responsible investment into practice in fixed income
This is a guide for fixed income investors to implement responsible investment (RI) principles. A key application is using environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration to determine an issuer's creditworthiness. Motivations for applying RI in fixed income vary from pursuing financial value through the management of risks and opportunities to ethical motivations and reputational concerns.
Investing in the global green economy: Busting common myths
Analysis by FTSE Russell suggests that the transition to a sustainable green economy is a large investment opportunity, backed by global efforts to combat climate change and broader environmental challenges, that can deliver outperformance of the global equity market,
Analysis of ethics and investor behaviour and its impact on financial satisfaction of capital market investors
This research, through hypothesis testing, examines the impact of investors' ethical awareness and understanding on investor behaviour in capital markets and its link to increased financial satisfaction through that behaviour. As such, the reports challenges neo-classical economic theory by suggesting investors look beyond risk and return and develop investment portfolios in line with their ethics.
The impact investing journey: Aligning portfolio with purpose
This report describes how a philanthropic organisation uses impact investing throughout its portfolio. Society has changed its view on ethical investing, and The Russell Family Foundation has implemented this in their mission. Three pillars of their portfolio target social, environmental and financial areas of investing, and these allow them to achieve their company objectives.
Why do we invest ethically?
This report looks at investor behaviour, and contends that investors no longer behave in the “rational” fashion that traditional finance theory assumes. Studying the desire to invest ethically challenges the relevance of traditional finance theory, and helps improve our understanding of ethical investor behaviour.
The race of our lives revisited
GMO's founder and long-term investment strategist, Jeremy Grantham, offers a wide-ranging analysis of interconnected environmental crises, explores solutions and makes recommendations for investors. The paper covers climate change, population growth, soil erosion and toxicity. It concludes by making the case for environmental investment strategies and fossil fuel divestment.
The world's dumbest idea
An exploration into the problems that are present within the concept of shareholders value maximisation (SVM). Montier examines the history which has lead to the adaptation of this idea and the potential impact it has on the economy.