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editorial
. 2021 Feb 16;4(1):152–165. doi: 10.1057/s42214-020-00094-2
Dimension Elements Tools Actors Explanation
Sustainable investment policies International law, national law, international process standards, national process standards, and industry process standards IIAs, OECD Guidelines, firm-level CSR guidelines, domestic labor codes, Environmental and Social Impact Assessments, supply-chain guidelines for mining or for agriculture Policies can apply to both host governments and home governments, as well as host firms and home firms Sustainable investment requires investment to take place in the context of respect for human rights, health and safety standards, social and environmental protection, and respect for core labor rights; policies can encompass both “carrots” and “sticks”
Sustainable finance mobilization Corporate sustainability ratings, financial standards, and corporate sustainability reporting Sustainability Accounting Standards (SASB), Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainable stock exchange initiative Sustainable finance mobilization is mainly targeted to firms, whether portfolio investors, institutional investors, impact investors, and sustainable investors Sustainable investment requires stakeholders to have information regarding the sustainability behavior of different firms for policymakers, regulators, investors, media, and civil society to reward or punish investment behavior through incentives and sanctions, thus providing market signals to better align market mechanisms with SDG goals
Sustainable investment promotion National strategy for attracting investment, targeted promotion to SDG sectors, and targeted promotion to sustainable investors Recognized Sustainable Investor (RSI) measure, behavioral incentives, home-country measures conditional on sustainability performance, pipeline of bankable projects, promotion campaigns, roadshows, investment conferences Host economy IPA, home economy IPA, other policymakers, host economy firms, and home economy firms Sustainable investment can be furthered through (a) targeting investors in sectors that are particularly conducive to the SDGs, (b) targeting investors with a sustainability mission, and (c) creating a pipeline of sustainable bankable projects
Sustainable investment facilitation Administrative procedures and requirements, transparency, aftercare, quality standards, and insurance Focal point, One-stop shop, ombudsperson, lists of domestic suppliers, guarantees and insurance targeted to support and protect sustainable investment Host economy IPA, home economy IPA, other policymakers, insurance providers, host economy firms, and home economy firms Sustainable investment can be furthered through providing greater facilitation services and support to investment that is aligned with sustainable development goals of the economy; this can be facilitated by partnership between home and host IPAs, as well as regional cooperation
Sustainable development impact Business linkages, training, technology transfer, indicators, and stakeholder engagement PPPs, supplier-development program to create linkages, SEZs focused on SDGs, OECD FDI qualities indicators, UNESCAP FDI indicators, firm reporting on ESG impact, and public–private dialogues Host economy IPA, home economy IPA, other policymakers, civil society, international organizations, development institutions, and donor governments Sustainable investment also involves programs and initiatives to maximize positive development effects and minimize potential negative effects by increasing the absorptive capacity in economies, tools to measure sustainable impact, stakeholder engagement, public scrutiny and pressure, and making trade-offs