Library | Sustainable Finance Practices

Governance and directors’ duties

Resources on the responsibilities of boards and directors in overseeing sustainability, ensuring accountability, fulfilling fiduciary duties, and promoting long-term value creation.

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Council on ethics for the norwegian government pension fund global

Council on Ethics for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global
The report outlines the Council on Ethics’ 2018 work advising Norges Bank on exclusions and observation under ethical guidelines. It covers assessments of human rights, environment, climate, corruption and weapons sales, resulting in multiple company exclusions, observations and revocations, alongside ongoing sectoral investigations.
Research
14 April 2021

Nature-related risks and the duties of directors of Canadian corporations

Resilient LLP
This legal opinion examines whether nature-related risks are foreseeable and material for Canadian companies. It concludes directors must consider, manage and, where material, disclose such risks to meet fiduciary and care duties under Canadian corporate and securities law.
Research
29 July 2025

Trillions or billions: Reassessing the potential for european institutional investment in emerging markets and developing economies

Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
The report finds European pension funds and insurers have limited capacity to scale EMDE investment. Even doubling allocations by the 35 largest asset owners would yield about USD 120 billion annually, concentrated in investment-grade assets. Regulation constrains insurers more than pension funds.
Research
23 May 2024

A theory of fair CEO pay

This research models executive pay where CEOs suffer disutility from 'unfair' wages. Firms motivate effort by threatening zero pay for poor performance, offering a fair output share only above a threshold. This rationalises performance-vesting equity and pay-for-performance structures even without traditional moral hazard incentives.
Research
15 October 2024

Navigating the corporate ego: Understanding the association between ESG performance and organizational narcissistic rhetoric

This study analyses 1,659 FTSE 350 observations to explore the link between ESG performance and organisational narcissistic rhetoric. Findings indicate that high ESG performance correlates with increased self-promoting language, though greater board gender diversity mitigates this effect. Additionally, strong financial results are positively associated with narcissistic corporate narratives.
Research
14 July 2025

Briefing paper: The fiduciary duty case for climate justice

Intentional Endowments Network
The report argues that climate justice is integral to fiduciary duty, as climate and inequality risks threaten long-term value. It outlines definitions, system-level investment frameworks, and practical tools that help investors manage systemic risks and support a just low-carbon transition.
Research
26 June 2025

Integrating ESG and AI: A comprehensive responsible AI assessment framework

The report introduces an ESG-AI framework enabling investors to assess AI-related environmental, social, and governance risks. Drawing on insights from 28 companies, it provides use-case materiality analysis, governance indicators, and deep-dive assessments to support transparent, responsible AI evaluation and investment decisions.
Research
10 June 2025

Governance of AI adoption in central banks

Bank for International Settlements
This BIS report outlines central banks’ AI use cases, associated strategic, operational, cyber and reputational risks, and advocates adapting existing risk-management and three-lines-of-defence frameworks, supported by an adaptive AI governance model and ten practical actions, to balance innovation with security, compliance, data privacy and organisational resilience.
Research
29 January 2025

Advancing women’s financial inclusion: Guidelines to adopt a gender perspective in financial institutions

Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP)
The report outlines guidelines for financial institutions to integrate gender perspectives across governance, management, staffing, communications, and product design. It promotes data-driven policies, bias reduction, inclusive culture, tailored financial solutions for women, and strategic partnerships to enhance women’s financial inclusion and strengthen institutional performance.
Research
25 May 2025

Sustainable Finance Roundup November 2025: Transition Turning Points and Rising Accountability

This month’s sustainable-finance roundup highlights faster transition momentum, rising physical risks and a tightening focus on accountability. COP30 reinforced expectations for stronger 2035 targets, while national actions underscored diverging paths toward decarbonisation. Markets continued shifting toward clean energy and resilience, and new science made climate harms more visible. With regulatory scrutiny and litigation increasing, transition credibility and real-economy resilience are becoming core drivers of financial risk and investment decisions.
Article
1 December 2025

Nature enters the boardroom

Australian Institute of Company Directors
This report examines how Australian boards are beginning to integrate nature into governance, identifying rising awareness of nature-related risks, early adoption of frameworks such as TNFD, and varied oversight and disclosure practices. It highlights barriers, emerging approaches, and the growing financial relevance of nature for organisational decision-making.
Research
20 November 2025

Nature-related risks and directors’ duties under the law of England and Wales

Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative
The report analyses how nature-related risks arising from companies’ dependencies and impacts on nature affect directors’ duties under English law. It concludes that directors must identify, assess, and manage material nature-related risks under sections 172 and 174 of the Companies Act 2006 and ensure transparent, accurate disclosure to meet statutory and governance obligations.
Research
11 March 2024

Drivers of behavioral change and non change in transition times

International Panel on Behavior Change (IPBC)
The Drivers of Behavioural Change and Non-Change in Transition Times report, published by IpBc/GIECo in 2025, examines psychological, social, and organisational factors influencing why individuals and institutions act—or fail to act—on sustainability. Drawing on behavioural science, it identifies mindsets, emotions, implicit cognition, and systemic barriers as key determinants of ecological and climate-related behavioural shifts.
Research
7 July 2025

The architecture of power: Patterns of disruption and stability in the global ownership network

This report summarises global corporate ownership networks from 2007 to 2012, introducing an Influence Index to measure shareholder power. It finds increasing concentration among major institutional investors, particularly passive funds, forming a resilient super-entity that centralises corporate control and poses implications for competition and financial stability.
Research
26 January 2019

Committee diversity effect on corporate investment risk practices

MDPI
This study investigates how diversity within corporate committees influences investment risk practices among ASX 300 firms (2018–2020). Using a composite index of gender, independence, and non-executive representation, the authors find that greater committee diversity enhances long-term strategic investment decisions and efficiency, improving governance and financial performance.
Research
24 September 2025

Navigating diversity, equity and inclusion: An asset owner perspective

Pensions for Purpose
This report summarises how asset owners integrate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) into organisational policies, investment management and stewardship. Drawing on interviews with 21 organisations, it highlights varying maturity levels, regulatory developments, data challenges and best practices shaping DE&I implementation across the pensions and investment industry.
Research
27 April 2024
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