A recent survey on UK business by Better Society has revealed that nearly two-thirds (59 per cent) believe there is no need to compromise profitability, or would do so if need be, to meet higher ESG standards.

During its second meeting in July the Sustainable Insurance Forum (SIF) discussed the importance of climate disclosure within the insurance sector. It identified how enhanced disclosure can support insurance supervisors in their efforts to ensure the protection of policyholders, the safety and soundness of insurance firms and the stability of the insurance sector as a whole.

Martin Currie has achieved A+ ratings in the three major categories of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) assessment of its responsible investment activities.

The Pension Quality Mark (PQM) has announced consultation on defined contribution (DC) pension provision that will consider the promotion of more responsible ways of doing finance.

The Environment Agency Pension Fund (EAPF) has reported excellent financial returns, while also maintaining its position as a global leader in responsible investing.

Last year the Government appointed Elizabeth Corley, Vice Chair of Allianz Global Investors, to chair an advisory group looking at how to create a culture of social impact investment and savings. Now Corley has sent an open letter to Ministers providing a progress update setting out key lines of enquiry prior to the recommendations to be published in late 2017.

Please read: The Better Society site is being refreshed, with new features, user customisation and a simpler, cleaner look.

Schroders has launched a ‘climate progress dashboard’ to give investors insight into the progress being made towards meeting the 2C temperature rise target.

Despite underfunding, the UN has found reasons for optimism within the current development of financial products.

The High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance, established by the European Commission, has published its first report setting out steps to create a financial system supportive of sustainable investments.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and supermarket chain Waitrose are jointly creating a series of events to get more people cleaning and recording litter from England's beaches and rivers.

Sales of new diesel and petrol cars and vans will be banned from 2040 in the UK, the Government has stated.

The UK Government has set out plans to change the way electricity is made, used and stored, making easier for people to generate their own power, store it and sell it to the National Grid.

Morrisons has raised GBP1m for CLIC Sargent, five months into a three year partnership aiming to raise £8m.

Huawei has signed a memorandum of understanding with Milton Keynes Council to create ICT concepts for smart cities.

The amount of plastic that has been produced has been estimated at 8.3m tonnes. Given that modern plastics were only invented in the 1920s and 1930s, and not mass produced until after WW2, this is a huge quantity.

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) helps provide commercial services to the public sector and saving money for the taxpayer. It has named Centrica as a supplier on its Demand Side Response framework to financially incentivise customers to lower or shift their electricity use at peak times.

Please read: The Better Society site is being refreshed, with new features, user customisation and a simpler, cleaner look.

For the third consecutive year, partners from the emerging markets continue to represent more than a third of all partner promotions at EY, making up 36 per cent this year.

A partnership between Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC) and Specsavers has resulted in children and their families at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children trialing virtual reality headsets.

The John Lewis Partnership has published the latest edition of its constitution, defining what it describes as its ‘industrial democracy’ in the employee-owned business.

Amazon and Starbucks have seen their reputations decline in the UK, with Amazon seeing its overall reputation fall from ‘excellent’ to ‘strong’ and Starbucks dropping from ’average’ to ‘weak’.

To coincide with World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July, Shiva Hotels is training over 400 employees and launching a consumer-facing campaign for guests in five hotels that receive more than 750,000 guests every year.

In an earlier story from the Reputation Institute, the conduct of Sports Direct was demonstrated to have had a negative influence on its perception in the public eye – and potentially have a damaging impact upon its trading.

The public might recognise the role that businesses play in creating jobs and society, but there is still a clear disconnect between businesses and communities across the UK.

The Co-operative Bank recently published its Values and Ethics Report – the first summary of its progress against the commitments set out in its Ethical Policy since separation from The Co-operative Group.

The Reputation Institute has reported a further deterioration in the reputational ranking of Sports Direct.

Eleven major banks are working with the UN to promote climate transparency in financial markets.

Please read: The Better Society site is being refreshed, with new features, user customisation and a simpler, cleaner look.

HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter was launched in 2016 to build the pipeline of female talent for leadership positions, and now has reached 141 signatories.

Unconfirmed reports say that the government’s energy cost review will be headed by Dieter Helm, an economist at the University of Oxford.