Principles-Based Social Taxonomy for Sustainable Investing
The IISD designed a social taxonomy (system of classification) of business activities that promote social good and social governance improvements, both inspired by international norms and good practices, which were turned into minimum threshold-level activities that must be met for the user of the social taxonomy to assess its levels of contributions. The taxonomy has two sets of broad guiding principles (GPs): GP1 on promoting overall social well-being (enhancing positive social impacts) and GP2 on enhancing respect for human rights and enhanced company conduct (through company-level governance improvements on social issues).
The minimum threshold-level activities are a prerequisite for the application of GP1 and GP2. The threshold refers mostly to social safeguards, but also to minimum environmental safeguards, in an effort to create reference points between the social and environmental taxonomy and promote an integrated approach to achieving social and environmental sustainability.
To these foundational principles, IISD added a progressive system of implementation assessment that is designed to help companies move from a state of being out of compliance with domestic law to achieving international good practice, over time and at their own pace, using a colour-coded system.
For the dominant sectors in the client country, such as construction and real estate; utilities and infrastructure; finance and financial services; extractive; technology and telecommunications; education; healthcare; agriculture; and cross-sectoral activities, the taxonomy provides illustrative qualifying business activities that can contribute toward GP1 or GP2.
Participating experts
You might also be interested in
Integrating Gender Considerations in Green Bonds
This brief focuses on how to scale up gender-smart financing through mainstreaming gender considerations in all-new sustainable bond issues.
COP15 : Faits marquants du jour - le 10 décembre 2022 (in French)
« Montréal et les municipalités environnantes se mobilisent pour accueillir cette conférence. Je remercie tout particulièrement la Nation mohawk et les collectivités de Kanesatake, de Kahnawake et d'Akwesasne qui continuent de nous accueillir sur leurs territoires. Nous avançons ensemble sur le chemin de la réconciliation et de la conservation, et j'ai eu l'honneur de transmettre cet esprit de partenariat commun lors de ma visite du village autochtone aujourd'hui. Cet esprit de partenariat a également été mis en évidence durant l'événement de la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, auquel j'ai assisté, qui représente 82 municipalités, qui a annoncé qu'elle visait à d'atteindre l'objectif de 30 % de milieux naturels de protégés d'ici 2030, ce qui correspond à l'objectif fédéral. »
"Green Lemons" Need to be Squeezed out From the ESG Market
Weak ESG governance and reporting standards are putting a brake on sustainability investments beyond climate mitigation, but several new regulatory initiatives could herald the start of a more positive trend.
Moving Beyond GDP: A Stock-Flow Approach To Measuring Wellbeing For The G20
To achieve effective climate action, the G20 countries need to move urgently beyond GDP and use a comprehensive approach to assessing national progress.