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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Shifting the financial system: Accelerating sustainable finance at banks
This report provides insights from banking professionals on accelerating sustainable finance amid the challenges and opportunities of the global climate crisis. It analyses the role of banks in fostering sustainability, providing capital to low-carbon solutions, and aligning with Paris Agreement targets. The report gives recommendations for addressing climate change.
The dangers of buybacks: Mitigating common pitfalls
This report explores the rising trend of share buybacks, analysing their benefits and pitfalls. It offers practical tools, guidelines, and measures to mitigate the risks, improve transparency, and ensure buybacks match long-term company strategies.
Point of no return 2023: Part IV: Climate and biodiversity
This report assesses the climate and biodiversity policies and practices of 77 of the world’s largest asset managers, who collectively hold over $77 trillion in assets. The report finds that asset managers need stronger and more comprehensive net-zero targets, consistent with limiting biodiversity loss, and a greater focus on climate scenario analysis.
G-20: Data enhancement and coordination in SME finance
This report examines small and medium enterprise finance indicators collected by development finance institutions. The analysis reveals the limits of SME finance data and underscores the need for better coordination and more gender-disaggregated data. Recommendations include a common collection approach and joint data-sharing of core indicators.
Inclusive business financing: Where commercial opportunity and sustainability converge
This report explores how best to finance inclusive businesses, which have gained prominence for reducing poverty and inequality in developing countries. Drawing on case studies from across Asia, it examines bank debt and private equity as conduits for financing, and offers recommendations for improving the financing of inclusive businesses.
Toward ESG alpha: Analyzing ESG exposures through a factor lens
This paper investigates the relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) exposures and factor returns for 1,312 US equity mutual funds. The study suggests that factor tilts, rather than pure ESG considerations, drive factor returns. ESG components unrelated to factors carry insignificant excess return premiums that are economically small.
Aligning to a net zero pathway: Top tips for pension scheme trustees
This report provides practical insights for pension scheme trustees in aligning their investments with a net zero pathway. The guide's tips are broadly applicable to pension funds across the globe. It defines "net zero," the challenges and opportunities facing trustees, and the importance of stakeholder engagement in crafting a successful transition.
A toolbox of sustainable crisis response measures for central banks and supervisors – second edition: Lessons from practice
This report is a toolbox of options for central banks and supervisors to align crisis response measures with climate and sustainability objectives. The second edition includes an extended analysis of sustainability-linked measures. It also highlights the importance of moving from voluntary to mandatory environmental reporting and recommends efficient disclosure to regulated financial institutions.
Financing a greener planet: Catalysing private capital for a net zero emissions world
This report provides an overview of the private capital markets and their potential to fund a greener planet. It explores the increasing interest in ESG investing and the significant role that investors can play in delivering a net-zero emissions world, specifically focusing on sustainable agriculture, clean energy, and transportation.
Welcome to the great unravelling: Navigating the polycrisis of environmental and social breakdown
This report examines the ongoing crises of environmental and social breakdown, exploring their interconnected drivers and feedbacks. It offers pragmatic and personal solutions, challenging the myth of progress, and suggesting thoughtful change as the only hope for navigating this uncertain future.
The great wake-up: Why and how investors must act on women's health - now
This paper highlights the critical need for investor action in support of women's health in the workplace and beyond. The report examines the current lack of attention to this topic in the financial sector and provides guidance for institutions to learn, set priorities, act and activate systems toward improving outcomes on women's health.
The investor’s guide to hazardous chemicals: An introduction to harmful substances, ChemScore and the Investor Initiative on Hazardous Chemicals (IIHC)
The investor guide to hazardous chemicals explains the dangers of chemical pollution, how to identify companies with high chemical footprints, and the tactics that investors can use to engage with these firms. The report also presents the 2022 ChemScore rankings, and a list of questions to ask chemical companies.
The private wealth industry and tax: Politically biased, ethically compromising and failing clients
This report identifies that the private wealth sector is politically biased, ethically compromising, and failing clients with tax positive views. The report calls for significant changes to industry practice to better serve clients and ensure a more equitable society.
What is tax fairness and what does it mean for investors?
This report is a discussion paper on tax fairness and its impact on institutional investors. Six principles guide the initiatives to bring transparency and systematic approach in dealing with tax issues in the investment industry. It also outlines past legal and regulatory efforts and recommendations for future stakeholder engagement to improve tax arrangements.
A guide to SDG interactions: From science to implementation
This report examines the nature of interlinkages between Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), underpinned by a framework for understanding sustainable development goal interactions. Policymakers, practitioners and scientists working on implementing SDGs are the intended audience for this report.
Australian Social Impact Investing Taskforce: A Commonwealth strategy to build a mature and self-sustaining social impact investing market that improves the lives of vulnerable Australians
The report details a strategy to support early-stage social enterprises and foster growth in social impact investment (SII) opportunities. The report explores four action areas for government and stakeholders to accelerate SII growth and improve social impact measurement.