Library | Sustainable Finance Practices
Stakeholder engagement and advocacy
Stakeholder engagement and advocacy are components of effective stewardship. Resources promoting collaboration and advocacy efforts among financial institutions and their key stakeholders, with a focus on driving positive systemic change. Stakeholders include customers, regulators, policy-makers, other investors and industry groups, communities, First Nation peoples, unions, and civil society organisations.
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The investor case for fighting inequality: How inequality harms investors and what investors should do about it
The report argues that socioeconomic inequality poses systemic risks to investment performance. It highlights that addressing inequality aligns with investors' fiduciary duties by reducing financial risks and improving long-term returns. The report provides evidence that inequality impacts corporate performance, supply chains, and macroeconomic stability.
An introduction to key ecological concepts, financial opportunities, and risks underpinning aspirations for nature positive
The report introduces key ecological concepts critical to achieving a nature-positive future. It outlines the financial opportunities and risks involved, emphasising the need for collaboration between ecologists and business professionals to effectively implement nature-positive strategies. The report also highlights the challenges and complexities in aligning ecological goals with financial instruments.
Investor guidance on responsible contracting
This investor guidance examines the role of contracts in human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD). It provides investors with tools to engage with companies on responsible contracting practices, aligning with international standards and evolving legislation.
An innovation pathway to decarbonization: Circular economy solutions for policymakers and industry in the US
The US has a significant opportunity to decarbonise its industrial sector and boost its economy by transitioning to a circular economy. This report explores the economic and environmental benefits of circular solutions in key industries, such as batteries, construction, and electronics. It also analyses current US policies that support a circular economy and provides recommendations for further policy interventions to accelerate this transition.
Investing in stakeholder engagement for improved digital technologies
This report explores the importance of stakeholder engagement for tech sector investors. It shows how engaging with affected stakeholders helps identify, assess, and mitigate human rights risks. It provides recommendations for investors to fund more rights-respecting companies.
ShareAction's voting matters series
Voting Matters are benchmark-series reports by ShareAction evaluating the proxy voting behaviour of asset managers on environmental and social issues. This report analyses the voting patterns of major asset managers to determine their commitment to responsible investment practices.
Anticipatory finance: An introductory guide
This introductory guide explores anticipatory finance, a funding mechanism released before predicted disasters to reduce humanitarian impact. It explains anticipatory action (AA), details potential finance sources (e.g. donor funds, government budgets, insurance), and presents real-world examples, challenges, and recommendations for implementation.
Respecting Indigenous rights: An actionable due diligence toolkit for institutional investors
This toolkit offers practical guidance for investors to respect Indigenous rights. It covers understanding and incorporating these rights into investment policies, assessing and addressing impacts, and ensuring Free, Prior, and Informed Consent. This toolkit aims to mitigate risks and uphold international human rights standards.
Great expectations: Is engagement living up to its promise?
This report examines whether engagement activities deliver impactful sustainability outcomes, comparing systemic and company-specific engagement. It encourages investors to align engagement goals with investment views, distinguishes escalation mechanisms for equity and debt investors, and emphasises financial materiality for achievable, value-enhancing outcomes. Investors are reminded of their fiduciary responsibility to clients and stakeholders.
Capitals Coalition (CapsCo)
The Capitals Coalition advocates for integrating natural, social, and human capitals into decision-making to create a sustainable economy. Through global collaboration, they develop frameworks and tools to guide businesses and governments in valuing and managing their impacts on the environment and society, fostering resilience and long-term prosperity.
Can investors save the planet? - NZAMI and fiduciary duty
The report evaluates asset managers' strategies aligning with the Race to Zero goal of limiting global warming while considering the possibility of a different climate scenario. It finds impactful environmental approaches might pose fiduciary challenges. Authors propose revising commitments to enhance climate impact while upholding fiduciary duties.
Dhawura Ngilan - Business and investor initiative: A guide for businesses and investors
This report provides guidance for businesses and investors to respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage rights and implement environmental, social, and corporate governance principles. The Dhawura Ngilan (Remembering Country) vision is outlined and detailed recommendations for ethical investment practices are provided.
Collaborative investor engagement with policymakers: Changing the rules of the game?
This report explores why and how institutional investors engage with governments and the challenges they face in the process. The authors analyse 11 case studies and identify drivers such as managing investment risks and fulfilling fiduciary duties, as well as challenges like limited influence on governments. The findings contribute to the sustainable finance and public policy literature.
Growth-positive zero-emission pathways to 2050
This paper presents pathways to achieving growth positive zero-emission targets by 2050. The report concludes that significant action is required globally to achieve the low-carbon transition required to limit temperature increases to 1.5 °C, including the refashioning of multiple fundamental socio-economic systems and the international co-operation of decision-makers.
Shareholder primacy: The main barrier to sustainable companies
This report analyses the role of company law in achieving sustainable development, focusing on the dominance of shareholder primacy and its impact on corporate decision-making. It evaluates barriers to integrating sustainability, and provides possible ways forward. An essential comparative analysis for academics and professionals interested in promoting sustainable business practices.
The role of local narratives in emerging climate governance
This report examines how local climate narratives are shaped by the history, power dynamics, needs, and priorities of a region. The report analyses the case of Miami-Dade County, Florida, an early adopter of climate policies that faces inequity and worsening climate impacts, to understand how local narratives influence climate governance.