Library | Sustainable Finance Practices

Issue/sector focused research

General research and analysis that provides deep dives and insights into specific sustainability issues or industry sectors, addressing the current status, trends, risks, and opportunities for the issue but not specifically addressing a finance or business audience.

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Ocean investment protocol: 2026 revised draft for consultation: A multi-stakeholder plan to enable funding for the Sustainable Ocean Economy

United Nations Global Compact
This report provides a framework for scaling finance towards a sustainable ocean economy. It outlines recommendations for financial institutions, insurers, governments, and central banks to manage risks and capture opportunities. The protocol aims to mobilise the US$1 trillion required by 2030 to protect marine ecosystems and ensure prosperity.
Research
18 June 2026

The role of investors in measuring and achieving lower embodied carbon in real estate and infrastructure

Investor Group on Climate Change
This guidance outlines strategies for Australian investors to manage and reduce embodied carbon in real estate and infrastructure. It details a maturity pathway from benchmarking to achieving reductions, highlighting mandatory reporting requirements and strategic benefits. The document provides specific actions for equity and debt investors to align with net-zero pathways.
Research
25 January 2026

Global critical minerals outlook series

International Energy Agency (IEA)
The Global Critical Minerals Outlook is an annual series published by the IEA that tracks market, investment, technology, and policy trends across critical mineral supply chains. Each edition provides medium- and long-term demand and supply projections for key energy minerals, covering supply security, concentration risks, and diversification developments.
Benchmark/series
15 July 2026

The silence of the loans: Banks should adopt methane policies that cover financing and facilitating emissions

Planet Tracker
Planet Tracker examines twenty-five banks' policies regarding agricultural methane emissions. Despite methane's high potency, no banks have specific reduction targets for this sector. Most policies focus solely on direct financing, ignoring facilitated debt which constitutes 96% of corporate funding, creating significant financial and regulatory risks for lenders.
Research
15 April 2026

Global energy review series

International Energy Agency (IEA)
The Global Energy Review is an annual benchmark series published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that assesses trends across the entire energy sector, covering all fuels, technologies, regions, and energy-related CO2 emissions for the preceding calendar year.
Benchmark/series
1 May 2026

Clean cooking in Africa 2026: Progress report

International Energy Agency (IEA)
This report evaluates progress toward universal clean cooking access in sub-Saharan Africa. While delivery rates have tripled since 2010, population growth continues to outpace gains. The analysis covers investment trends, infrastructure development, and the impact of the 2026 energy crisis on regional fuel supply chains.
Research
9 July 2026

Corporate diversification and corporate carbon performance

Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI)
This research examines how corporate diversification and cash flow coinsurance reduce carbon intensity in Japanese firms. It finds that industrial diversification alleviates financing constraints, enabling substantial decarbonisation investments. The effect is most significant in carbon-intensive industries and for Scope 1 emissions following the Paris Agreement.
Research
15 July 2026

Exploring guarantees for resilient and low-carbon cities: Part 2: De-risking urban climate finance series

Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA)
This report examines how guarantees can unlock private climate finance for cities. It identifies barriers to uptake in emerging markets, such as high costs and complex structures. Proposed solutions include strengthening governance, standardising products, and expanding regional facilities to mobilise the USD 4.3 trillion required annually by 2030.
Research
27 April 2026

Connecting capital within African agrifood systems: Lessons from a decade of practice

Climate Policy Initiative
This report examines the structural misalignment between investors and agribusinesses in African agrifood systems. It highlights that while annual climate finance reached USD 7.8 billion, it falls short of the USD 1.1 trillion global requirement. Recommendations focus on improving technical assistance and intermediation to mobilise capital effectively.
Research
17 June 2026

Environmental claims, climate promises, and ‘greenwashing’ by meat and dairy companies

This research examines environmental claims from 33 major meat and dairy companies. It finds that 98% of 1,233 identified claims constitute greenwashing. While most claims are climate-related, many are unverifiable future promises lacking scientific evidence. The industry’s sustainability reporting often mimics tactics used by the fossil fuel sector.
Research
22 April 2026

The price of gas: The hidden costs of European banks’ support for gas power expansion

Reclaim Finance
This report examines how 24 European banks provided US$41.9 billion to gas power developers between 2021 and 2024. It highlights significant health impacts, including nearly 3,000 premature deaths in Europe, and warns that expanding gas infrastructure undermines global climate targets and exposes economies to price volatility.
Research
1 April 2026

Insurers' resilience toolkit: A practical taxonomy of climate adaptation and resilience measures

Environmental Defense Fund
This research provides a practical taxonomy for the insurance sector to advance climate adaptation and resilience. Analysing over 200 measures, it highlights structural barriers and enabling conditions for scaling initiatives. The report advocates for a shift from post-event compensation towards proactive risk reduction and long-term stakeholder engagement.
Research
13 July 2026

Toward transformation in finance: Seeds of nature-positive futures

This research examines "finance for nature seeds" — innovative initiatives aimed at transforming the financial sector to reverse nature loss. By analysing 92 global projects, the study identifies diverse approaches to funding nature stewardship, highlighting current reliance on market-based mechanisms and the potential for inclusive, value-pluralistic financial systems.
Research
10 April 2026

The emancipatory potential of biodiversity reporting: Evidence from the United Kingdom and South Africa

This research evaluates the emancipatory potential of biodiversity reporting within the United Kingdom and South Africa. Analysing disclosures from 2018 to 2022, it finds significant increases in reporting intensity. The study presents a principles-based framework to distinguish between compliance-oriented disclosures and transformative, action-oriented environmental reporting.
Research
23 April 2026

Tropical rainforest loss slowed in 2025, but fire is a growing threat to forests worldwide

World Resources Institute
Global tropical primary forest loss decreased 36% in 2025, though 4.3 million hectares were destroyed. Significant policy-driven reductions occurred in Brazil, but global deforestation remains 70% above levels required for 2030 targets. Fires drove 42% of global tree cover loss, with severe impacts in Canada and Europe.
Research
29 April 2026

Understanding inequality as a macro-financial risk to markets and diversified portfolios

The Predistribution Initiative
This research identifies economic inequality as a systemic macro-financial risk to markets. It examines how wealth concentration and market power destabilise economies, fuel social instability, and hinder progress on global challenges. The report advocates for new financial analysis tools and disclosure frameworks to integrate social-related risks into investment strategies.
Research
18 July 2026
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