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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Impact in place: Emerging sources of community investment capital and strategies to direct it at scale

Federal Reserve Bank of New York
This report presents emerging sources of capital for community investing through corporations, client solutions and community-driven investing. The report discusses how this field could shape the future of community investment.
Research
18 May 2021

Private capital, public good: Leveraging impact investing to support a just and equitable recovery

US Impact Investing Alliance
This report focuses on leveraging impact investing to support a just and equitable economic recovery in the United States. It provides a set of recommendations for policymakers based on the experience of impact investors, with an emphasis on promoting investor impact transparency and incentivising private capital into investments with positive impact.
Research
15 December 2020

Financing SDGs in emerging markets: The role of green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked (GSSS) bonds

Global Steering Group for Impact Investment
The report highlights the potential of green, social sustainability and sustainability-linked bonds in funding developing countries' progress towards the SDGs, offering recommendations for increased involvement from issuers, investors, policy-makers, and development finance institutions (DFIs).
Research
26 September 2023

Petrochemicals: Major credits, carbon risks, green bonds

Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute
This report reviews the petrochemical industry from a joint macro, credit specialist and climate mitigation perspective. It highlights that the industry has the highest energy demand and is the third-largest direct CO2 emitter. The first green bonds came out in 2020, although the sector’s environmental alignment remains questionable to investors.
Research
10 May 2021

Climate change and economics 101: Teaching the greatest market failure

This report analyses 27 introductory economics textbooks used in the US that cover micro and macroeconomics to assess their treatment of climate change. Authors find limited coverage in texts and that most texts relate climate change to the negative externality of carbon emissions. Market solutions such as cap-and-trade and carbon taxes are recommended.
Research
4 March 2019

Higher cost of finance exacerbates a climate investment trap in developing economies

This study investigates how different weighted average cost of capital (WACC) assumptions impact decarbonisation pathways for developing economies. The results demonstrate the disproportionate impact of high capital costs between regions, with green electricity production potentially 35% lower in Africa, increasing the risk of a climate investment trap.
Research
30 June 2021

Water risks and financial market: Overview and analysis

South Pole Carbon
This report explores water risks and opportunities in the financial sector. It provides an overview of tools and approaches to assess water risks, identifies potential actions to align with international water goals, and calls for greater integration of water considerations into financial decision-making.

Research
18 May 2018

Women decision makers: How can more capital reach women decision makers in emerging markets?

Value For Women
This report explores the barriers preventing women fund managers from receiving capital, particularly local, diverse women. The report outlines recommendations and tools for investors to better support women decision makers.
Research
26 July 2023

Measuring what matters most: Seven systems transformations for benchmarking companies on the SDGs

World Benchmarking Alliance
This report provides guidance on developing benchmarks to transform systems towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It identifies seven critical transformations: social, agriculture and food, decarbonisation and energy, circular, digital, urban, and financial systems. These benchmarks aim to hold companies accountable and drive meaningful change across industries to support sustainable development.
Research
15 July 2019

Future of waste

UBS
This report examines the future of waste reduction, the environmental and financial impacts of waste, and investment opportunities in waste management globally. The report provides regional, country, and sector insights on companies most affected by waste and ways for mainstream companies to proactively manage waste and pollution.
Research
24 February 2020

Transition risk framework: Managing the impacts of the low carbon transition on infrastructure investments

Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
This report introduces a transition risk framework aiding investors and regulators in navigating risks and seizing opportunities in the low-carbon transition. It enhances comprehension of how transition risks impact financial performance in infrastructure investments, offering a transparent, adaptable, and robust methodology for assessing the financial implications of a shift towards a low-carbon economy.
Research
18 February 2019

The comprehensive business case for sustainability

Sustainable businesses redefine the corporate ecosystem by creating value for all stakeholders, including employees, shareholders, supply chains, civil society, and the planet. Managing sustainability risks requires making investment decisions today for longer-term capacity building and developing adaptive strategies. Significant cost reductions can result from improving operational efficiency, and sustainable companies deliver significant positive financial performance.
Research
21 October 2016

Opportunity NOCs: How investors can jumpstart energy transitions in national oil companies

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
This report outlines how national oil companies (NOCs) must begin decarbonising to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, and how investors can influence and incentivise the energy transition. It shows that NOCs constitute half of the world’s oil and gas production and control two-thirds of global reserves, making them of great interest to investors.
Research
16 February 2023

The economic impact of ESG ratings

This report examines the impact of ESG ratings on fund holdings, stock returns, and firm behaviour. The study finds that only MSCI ESG ratings can explain the holdings of US ESG funds, and slow, gradual responses in ownership suggest that fund managers mainly use ESG ratings to comply with ESG mandates.
Research
15 January 2024

Unlocking investment capital for Indigenous Peoples

Indigeneous, Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC)
This paper tackles the challenges faced by Indigenous communities in accessing investment capital. It explores capital requirements and common barriers to obtaining the necessary funding, providing recommendations to fill gaps in access, provide support, and facilitate positive partnerships.
Research
12 May 2022

Summary for policymakers of the methodological assessment regarding the diverse conceptualisation of multiple values of nature and its benefits, including biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services

This paper is on the diverse conceptualisations of multiple values of nature, its benefits, and the valuation of nature asserts that policymaking frequently ignores nature's assorted values, focusing on only a small subset, and details how diversity in valuation is salient but challenging.
Research
9 July 2022
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