In recent years, as corporations and governments have increasingly been confronted with managing the expectations of a society newly alerted to the social and environmental risks of economic development, recognition is dawning that achieving a sustainable world is dependent upon the democratic management and equitable distribution of these risks for now, and for the future. This book, the first to explore the themes of corporate governance and sustainability, argues that a better system of governance on a number of levels holds the key. Contributed to and edited by a distinguished international team, this book recognizes the complex and contested nature of both sustainability and governance, and that these key concepts have been redefined considerably over time. As sustainability poses new and major challenges for the theory and practice of corporate governance, this book, ideal for postgraduate students of business and management, identifies and addresses these challenges.

This report provides an overview of the current sustainability disclosure policies and practices, the responsibilities of company boards and shareholder rights in Asia. The report also presents current trends in corporate sustainability globally and in Asia based on the OECD Corporate Sustainability dataset.

This book delves into corporate governance, sustainability, and information systems related to the aviation sector. Due to globalization and rise in cross-border business, the aviation sector has become an essential means of transport. However, the industry has tremendous impact on social, economic, and natural environments and carries significant risks. The book explores such issues plaguing the aviation sector under three key areas: CSR and sustainability, information systems and risk management, and corporate governance and accountability in the airline industry. The book concludes with an analysis of the impact of COVID-19 crisis on the industry and ways to respond and recover from the effects of the pandemic.

This report serves to support the development of Latin America’s legal and regulatory frameworks for sustainability disclosure, the responsibilities of company boards and shareholder rights. The report presents the results of two OECD surveys on sustainability practices of listed companies and asset managers in the region.

This report analyses sustainability policies and practices for corporate governance, both in Brazil and globally. It serves to support the development of Brazil’s legal and regulatory framework for sustainability disclosure, the responsibilities of company boards and shareholder rights.

This book considers the corporate governance of sustainability from a co-evolutionary perspective, exploring the linkages between pro-active approaches at the corporate level, market-based incentives and environmental networks. The contributors contend that governance for sustainable development has not yet been fully formulated, and requires further analysis in the context of policies, the role of the state and the inclusion of corporate and private actors. They question whether the governance of sustainable development goes beyond traditional, state-centred policy-making by aiming for proactive changes of private actors' behaviours at different levels. The discussion also encompasses relevant theory on corporate governance, competition, market failures and regulatory tools. An assessment methodology suitable for empirical network analysis at the meso-level is introduced, and its application is demonstrated using eight case studies. Raimund Bleischwitz and his team of contributing authors draw important conclusions for policy analysis and sustainability assessments and the actors involved. The book will therefore prove an invaluable resource for academics, scholars and policymakers focussing on applied sustainability research, policy analysis and evaluation.

The banking industry plays a critical role in ensuring global economic and financial stability. Effective governance is essential for mitigating bank risk-taking and limiting managerial opportunism in this industry, which is constantly under regulatory and market scrutiny. However, the complexity and diversity of banking financial instruments and transactions gives rise to substantial information asymmetries and ongoing debates regarding contemporary governance, sustainability, and data innovation issues.This book is one of the first to address these contemporary issues collectively, offering a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the global banking industry. It provides new insights, evidence-based recommendations, and future perspectives on the role of governance mechanisms, digital innovation, climate change, and green finance in shaping the industry pre- and post-COVID-19. The book is a valuable resource for a wide range of stakeholders in the banking sector, including international regulators, practitioners, policymakers, institutional investors, and auditors. It features contributions from renowned international scholars and offers a variety of theoretical, empirical, and policy-based perspectives. It provides updated evidence and new insights crucial for rethinking the global banking model and dominant regulations, and offers evidence-based recommendations and measures for promoting financial stability and resilience in this industry.

The effects of climate change on the one hand, and government promises to achieve sustainable development on the other, are only two examples of the factors driving businesses to incorporate sustainability into their business strategies. International organizations and researchers alike contend that incorporating sustainability into business is only feasible when governance also considers environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. Therefore, corporate governance is attracting more and more attention from investors and various stakeholders. On 23 February 2022, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. The aim of this Directive is to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour and to anchor human rights and environmental considerations in companies’ operations and corporate governance. Drawing on the theoretical framework of corporate governance and an analysis of the latest and most important literature on corporate governance and sustainability, this book offers essential insights, particularly in light of the Sustainable Corporate Governance Directive and Due Diligence Directive.

Companies can no longer expect to engage in dubious or unethical corporate behaviour without risking their reputation and damaging, perhaps irrevocably, their market position. Irresponsible corporate behavior not only deprives shareholders of long-term returns but also ultimately imposes a cost on society as a whole. Sustainable business is about ensuring that entities contribute toward positive social, environmental, and economic outcomes. Bad business behaviour is costly for stakeholders, for markets, for society, and the economy alike. To ensure that a company behaves well, the buy-in of the leadership team is crucial. The full commitment of the board of directors, in conjunction with the senior managers of the organization, is required if an organization is to be socially responsible. In this sense, leadership does not reside with an individual (the CEO) within the organization but with all of those at the apex of corporate power and control. Effective change management requires enlightened and capable leadership to instigate and drive the process of embedding a sustainable and socially responsible corporate philosophy and culture that supports good business decision-making. A profound understanding of the requirements of such a leadership process will help corporate managers become highly effective change agents. Governance will be the main driver of this change. For the economy and financial markets to become sustainable and resilient, radical changes in corporate leadership need to take place. Integrated reporting, government regulation, and international standards will all be important factors in bringing about this change. As well as understanding the effects of corporate behavior on financial markets, such an understanding is also now imperative in relation to the social and environmental contexts.

Sustainability cannot be achieved without good governance. The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 stated that governance and sustainable development are intimately tied together and the future role and architecture of institutions, from local to international levels, will be crucial determinants to whether future policies and programmes for sustainable development will succeed. But these are changing times. With growing tensions over both globalization and regionalization, traditional systems of regulation are being subjected to growing pressure for reform. While states will continue to play a significant, if changed, role in the future, the importance of players from business and civil society is increasing. Sustainable development requires this change. Such an intra- and intergenerational concept cannot be achieved with a top-down approach, but rather needs the participation of all. In fact, the governance of sustainable development requires the exploration of new forms of both social co-operation and confrontation. By doing so, the different levels (global and local), players (state, company and civil society), control structures (hierarchy, market and public-private) and fields of action need to be taken into consideration.Governance and Sustainability examines the possibilities of integrating the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development within the framework of governance processes and how that might steer societies towards sustainability. It takes a close look at the key actors, their agendas and methods, forms of organization, problems and limits, as well as real-life examples for governance in different areas of society at the regional, national and international level. It is especially interested in exploring the nature of changes in the context of governance; the role of actors in such processes; and analysing how different forms of societal learning can improve governance processes. It concludes that this is a continuous process, characterized by conflicts and learning processes necessary to heighten both awareness of the complexity of the social and environmental problems faced and the prospects of implementing successful solutions. Based on a major conference hosted to assess the issue of governance post-Johannesburg, the book includes innovative insights from some of the leading thinkers in both sustainable development and governance from academia, business, multilateral organizations and NGOs. It provides a unique perspective on two of the key societal problems facing the world today.