Library | Sustainable Finance Practices

Industry standards and guidance

Voluntary standards, non-legislative frameworks, methodologies, and best-practice guidance that support financial institutions in achieving sustainability objectives.

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ASCOR Tool

Transition Pathway Initiative
The ASCOR Tool is an investor-led framework for assessing how countries manage the low-carbon transition and the impacts of climate change.
Online tool/database
11 November 2025

The State of Sustainable Finance (2025-2030) Global Architecture, Jurisdictional Approaches and Emerging Trends

Altiorem
This report examines global sustainable finance architecture and institutional shifts from 2025 to 2030. It assesses regulatory approaches across nine major jurisdictions, highlighting the European Union as the benchmark. The analysis identifies structural trends, including transition finance scaling, nature risk integration, and the harmonisation of sustainability reporting.
Research
20 May 2026

Aligning transition planning and financial planning: A guide for finance teams

Accounting for Sustainability (A4S)
This guidance assists finance teams in integrating transition planning into their organisation's core financial processes. It outlines steps to prepare, assess current positions, prioritise actions, and embed sustainability strategies into medium-term financial planning. The report provides practical frameworks for financing, improving decision-making, and monitoring progress towards climate resilience.
Research
2 June 2025

Frontier AI auditing: Toward rigorous third-party assessment of safety and security practices at leading AI companies

This report proposes a rigorous framework for third-party auditing of frontier AI systems to verify safety and security claims. Addressing the opacity of current self-assessments, it advocates for structured AI Assurance Levels, deep access to non-public information, and continuous monitoring to enable confident deployment and standardisation across the industry.
Research
7 February 2026

A systematic review of the voluntary governance landscape for an urgent, high-integrity, and equitable transition to net zero

This systematic review analyses 36 voluntary governance documents to assess how well they guide non-state entities towards an urgent, high-integrity, and equitable net-zero transition. It identifies consensus areas, like science-based targets, alongside critical gaps in operational detail, equity, and accountability, highlighting the need for robust standards and regulation.
Research
28 April 2026

Underwriting the future of resilience: Developing insurable and bankable infrastructure

Aon
This report explores how the insurance industry assesses physical climate risks for new social infrastructure projects. It identifies five key enablers to integrate climate resilience across project lifecycles, advocating for early stakeholder engagement and forward-looking risk assessments to ensure long-term asset insurability, bankability, and value in a changing climate.
Research
25 March 2026

RIAA Conference Australia 2026 - Companion Resources

Responsible investment has moved well beyond principles and pledges. Today’s challenges require practical capability and informed judgement. The RIAA Conference is a must-attend event for finance, sustainability and industry practitioners who want to focus on the key themes for responsible investment in 2026 and what implementation really looks like. Designed as an immersive, hands-on experience, the program focuses on the systems that underpin strong financial performance, and will help you understand how climate, nature, technology, governance and regulation intersect. 

These specially curated companion resources have been recommended by the conference speakers and Altiorem team.
Article
14 May 2026

Applying TNFD nature-related metrics in the fishing sector: Insights from investors and industry

Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)
TNFD guidance for the fishing sector outlines how investors and seafood companies use nature-related metrics to assess risks, disclosure and stewardship. Findings highlight growing demand for traceability, stock health and bycatch data, while noting certification interoperability, persistent data gaps and emerging access to blue finance instruments.
Research
21 April 2026

ASEAN taxonomy for sustainable finance series

ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF)
The ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance is a benchmark series that provides a common framework to classify sustainable economic activities across ASEAN. It guides financial institutions, policymakers and market participants in assessing environmental objectives, supporting an orderly transition and alignment with regional and international sustainable finance standards.
Benchmark/series
6 November 2025

ASEAN SDG Bond Toolkit

Climate Bonds Initiative
Provides practical guidance for issuing SDG bonds in ASEAN, outlining principles, processes, and frameworks aligned with green, social and sustainability bond standards. It explains SDG mapping, eligibility criteria, reporting practices, and market context to support issuers in mobilising capital for sustainable development.
Research
1 December 2021

Systemic Impact Investment Standard

The Systemic Impact Investing Standard is an independently audited framework enabling asset owners to assess whether asset managers’ strategies, processes and outcomes align with delivering systemic impact. It supports improved investment decision-making by emphasising sourcing, management and measurement practices that generate credible, system-level social and environmental outcomes.
Research
24 October 2025

UK Stewardship Code 2026

Financial Reporting Council (FRC)
The UK Stewardship Code (2026) sets voluntary principles for asset owners, managers and service providers to demonstrate effective stewardship through transparent, outcomes-focused reporting, supporting responsible capital allocation and long-term value creation for clients and beneficiaries.
Research
3 June 2026

The Core Carbon Principles (CCPs)

Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM)
The Core Carbon Principles are a global benchmark developed by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market to assess the quality of carbon credits. They set standards for transparency, governance and environmental integrity, helping market participants identify credible credits and improve confidence in voluntary carbon markets.
Research
27 July 2023

GRI Standards

Global Reporting Initiative
The GRI Standards are globally recognised sustainability reporting guidelines enabling organisations to disclose economic, environmental and social impacts in a consistent and comparable way. They support transparency, accountability and informed decision-making by helping organisations identify, measure and communicate material ESG impacts and contributions to sustainable development.
Research
1 January 2016

IFC's performance standards on environmental and social sustainability

International Finance Corporation
The IFC Performance Standards (2012) form part of the Sustainability Framework, setting requirements for clients to identify, manage, and mitigate environmental and social risks in financed projects. They comprise eight standards covering areas such as labour, resource efficiency, biodiversity, and community impacts, and are widely used as a global benchmark for responsible investment.
Research
1 January 2012

Investor climate action plans series

The Investor Agenda
This series provides guidance for investors on developing and assessing climate action plans using the ICAPs Expectations Ladder. It outlines approaches across investment, corporate engagement, policy advocacy, disclosure and governance to support alignment with net zero pathways and improve management of climate-related risks and opportunities.
Benchmark/series
1 October 2024
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