This book contributes to a better understanding of the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles for corporate value in the energy industry. In particular, it analyzes how the energy industry is achieving this shift in response to government regulations and how it is addressing specific ESG issues. It discusses various economic incentives and market-based policies for ESG activities in the energy sector and highlights how energy firms are using environmental, social and governance initiatives to create value. In turn, the book demonstrates how ESG principles can be implemented while considering various economic and corporate issues, such as financial markets, financial risks, asset pricing, value at risk, capital structure, capital budgeting, corporate (re)structuring, corporate governance, behavioral finance, financial performance, asset pricing, cost control, financial accounting, fiscal issues, institutions, governance, and legal aspects. Accordingly, it will appeal to scholars of economics, finance, and energy policy, and to anyone interested in the implementation of ESG principles in the energy industry. This is the ninth book in a series organized by the Centre for Energy and Value Issues (CEVI). In this book, CEVI collaborates with the Hacettepe University Energy Markets Research and Application Center (Ankara, Turkey). The previous volumes in the series were: Financial Aspects in Energy (2011), Energy Economics and Financial Markets (2012), Perspectives on Energy Risk (2014), Energy Technology and Valuation Issues (2015), Energy and Finance (2016), Energy Economy, Finance and Geostrategy (2018), Financial Implications of Regulations in the Energy Industry (2020) and Applied Operations Research and Financial Modelling in Energy (2021).

As businesses worldwide strive to embrace sustainability in their operations, they often need help with a significant challenge: the inadequacy of traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices in meeting modern sustainability needs. Despite increasing regulatory pressure and societal expectations, many organizations need help implementing effective Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies aligning with their core business goals. This gap between intent and implementation highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive and practical guide to navigating the complexities of sustainable business practices. ESG Frameworks for Sustainable Business Practices solve this pressing challenge by offering a systematic and insightful analysis of global ESG frameworks. Synthesizing current research and industry best practices provides a clear roadmap for organizations looking to integrate sustainability into their core strategies. Through an in-depth exploration of topics such as ESG disclosure, sustainable investments, and the role of regulations in ESG practices, this book equips readers with the knowledge and tools needed to drive meaningful change within their organizations.

The United Nations action plan for sustainable development, named “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” represents an international governance arrangement in response to the recent environmental challenges and social inequalities. Importantly, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework sets a purpose to protect human rights, end poverty, reduce inequality, protect the planet and its natural resources, and enhance sustainable economic growth. Recently, due to the deterioration in global environmental conditions, increasing stakeholder demands, and stricter regulations and law all over the world, firms have realized the importance of integrating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their strategic orientations in order to enhance their environmental, social performances and keep sustainable development.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing: A Balanced Analysis of the Theory and Practice of a Sustainable Portfolio presents a balanced, thorough analysis of ESG factors as they are incorporated into the investment process. An estimated 25% of all new investments are in ESG funds, with a global total of $23 trillion and the U.S. accounting for almost $9 trillion. Many advocate the sustainability goals promoted by ESG, while others prefer to maximize returns and spend their earnings on social causes. The core problem facing those who want to promote sustainability goals is to define sustainability investing and measure its returns. This book examines theories and their practical implications, illuminating issues that other books leave in the shadows. - Provides a dispassionate examination of ESG investing - Presents the historical arguments for maximizing returns and competing theories to support an ESG approach - Reviews case studies of empirical evidence about relative returns of both traditional and ESG investment approaches

Investors are increasingly integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues into their investment decisions. Currently, more than half of managed assets in Europe are linked to ESG factors, while in Japan, ESG investment has grown dramatically in recent years. In principle, ESG investment can help to bridge the gap between profit-driven investment and economic and social sustainability in Asia and the Pacific. However, a number of challenges, such as unclear and varied sustainable investment criteria, untested impacts on corporate value and social issues, and the lack of quality data cloud the potential for increasing ESG investment. This book aims to contribute to developing a framework for future analysis and monitoring to ensure the growth of ESG investment.

The world is currently undergoing an historic energy transition, driven by increasingly stringent decarbonisation policies and rapid advances in low-carbon technologies. The large-scale shift to low-carbon energy is disrupting the global energy system, impacting whole economies, and changing the political dynamics within and between countries. This open access book, written by leading energy scholars, examines the economic and geopolitical implications of the global energy transition, from both regional and thematic perspectives. The first part of the book addresses the geopolitical implications in the world’s main energy-producing and energy-consuming regions, while the second presents in-depth case studies on selected issues, ranging from the geopolitics of renewable energy, to the mineral foundations of the global energy transformation, to governance issues in connection with the changing global energy order. Given its scope, the book will appeal to researchers in energy, climate change and international relations, as well as to professionals working in the energy industry.

Most investment today is conducted by a relatively small number of institutional investors – pension funds and investment managers – who manage the pensions and saving funds of millions of ordinary people. The manner in which these institutional investors invest and discharge their responsibilities as the owners of companies is, therefore, of critical importance to society as a whole. In recent years, some of the biggest institutional investors have actively encouraged companies to improve their management of social, ethical and environmental issues. A number have also sought to explicitly analyse companies' performance on these issues and to incorporate this analysis into investment decision-making. These activities have contributed to important changes: a number of companies have committed to stabilising or reducing greenhouse gas emissions from their activities and operations, labour conditions in many retail supply chains have improved significantly, and many companies have significantly improved their governance of corporate responsibility issues. However, to date, there has been little systematic analysis of fundamental questions such as: Do responsible investment strategies systematically result in improvements in the social, ethical and environmental performance of companies? To what extent is it in investors' interest to encourage higher standards of corporate responsibility? Do responsible investment strategies enhance financial performance for investors? In this ground-breaking collection, Rory Sullivan and Craig Mackenzie have brought together some of the leading practitioners and commentators in the field of responsible investment to explore these questions. The contributors to this book present their views on the practicalities of implementing responsible investment strategies, the outcomes that have been achieved, the practical issues and barriers faced in implementing such strategies, and the challenges to be faced if responsible investment is to become a mainstream investment approach. The results are both unique and surprising. This book will be mandatory reading for all those involved in the field of social and environmentally responsible investment, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility whether they be academics, researchers or practitioners.