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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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.
We know our lives are in danger: Environment of fear in South Africa's mining-affected communities
This report highlights how mining has affected South African communities and examines the legal framework and community engagement procedures relating to mining activity. It discusses the impacts of mining on communities in terms of health, environment, livelihoods and social cohesion, as well as the high levels of violence in these communities.
Aligning to a net zero pathway: Top tips for pension scheme trustees
This report provides practical insights for pension scheme trustees in aligning their investments with a net zero pathway. The guide's tips are broadly applicable to pension funds across the globe. It defines "net zero," the challenges and opportunities facing trustees, and the importance of stakeholder engagement in crafting a successful transition.
Converging on climate lobbying: Aligning corporate practice with investor expectations
This report details the importance of climate lobbying for the long-term interests of institutional investors. It covers recommendations for future engagement and case studies, and is primarily aimed at investment professionals. The report does not have any specific focus on discussing a list of companies, rather, it is an investor initiative that advocates for climate lobbying practices and investor expectations for companies globally.
The U.S. power sector and climate policy
This reports on the 25 largest Investor-Owned Utilities' engagement with climate policy in the US highlights a sector that is fragmented in terms of climate policy. It identifies Edison International, Exelon Corporation, and Public Service Enterprise Company as the leading utilities, and Southern Company and CenterPoint Energy as the laggards.
Understanding and aligning with beneficiaries’ sustainability preferences
This report explores how engaging with beneficiaries can improve investments' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. It outlines a four-step process for investment professionals to understand and align with beneficiaries' sustainability preferences, ultimately strengthening a fund's performance and maintaining social license.