ESG Investing Glossary

Financing that supports credible, time-bound transformation of high-emitting or environmentally intensive activities toward alignment with climate and sustainability goals.

Risk arising from policy, legal, technology, market and reputational changes during the shift to a lower-carbon economy.

A partnership between the United Nations Environment Programme and the global financial sector to advance sustainable finance.

The international treaty framework under which governments negotiate and coordinate action on climate change.

A voluntary initiative asking companies to align strategies and operations with ten principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

The global framework for states and businesses to protect, respect and remedy human-rights impacts.

A large, diversified, long-term investor whose returns depend partly on the health of the overall economy and environmental and social systems.

The full range of upstream and downstream activities, resources and relationships involved in creating and delivering an organisation's products or services.

Greenhouse gas emissions occurring in upstream suppliers and downstream use, distribution, end-of-life or financed activities.

A market in which entities buy and retire carbon credits outside mandatory compliance schemes.

An initiative providing guidance for credible corporate use of high-quality carbon credits and related climate claims.

A simplified European sustainability reporting standard designed for non-listed small and medium-sized enterprises that report voluntarily.

A priority order for waste management: prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery and disposal.

A measure of water consumed and polluted directly and indirectly by an organisation, product or activity within a defined boundary.

A condition in which available water is insufficient to meet demand, whether because of physical shortage, infrastructure or institutional constraints.

A broader condition reflecting pressure on water resources, including quantity, quality, accessibility, seasonal variability and competing users.