Special Research & Reports
CEF Publications & Meetings Archive
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Special Research and Reports
CEF's primary research mission is to curate and synthesize voluminous amount of corporate sustainability-related information to: (1) help members track important news and research; (2) provide a basis for more productive discussions among members; (3) lay the groundwork for sound decision making around collaborative action that builds on existing work and avoids wheel reinvention.
As most of this work is unpublished, please contact
Mike Rama
if you have research-related questions —
we will assemble everything we have compiled on any specific question(s) you may have.
Selected CEF research memos for members' internal use:
- 2025 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (Davos) - list of attending CEF members open to connecting with peers.
- Advancing Sustainable Value Chains: An Ecosystem Map of Notable Standards, Initiatives, and Resources. Inspired by CEF member desires for a one-stop information hub on these issues, the Ecosystem Map gives a high-level snapshot of notable channels and resources that may be helpful to executives seeking to drive impact across supply chains and value chains - including around Scope 3 emissions.
- *Note this is an interactive map. For a PDF version, click here.
- Short video tutorial on how to utilize and navigate the Map and how you can help us improve it.
- Mapping the ESG Harmonization Landscape v8 (May 2023)
- Measuring ROI+ and Building More Effective Business Cases (2017)
- Supply Chain Sustainability Guidebook, V2: An action framework that embeds references, resources, and insights gathered during a series of dialogues with CEF member companies throughout 2022-23. This guide is meant to help CEF members meet the moment, wherever they are on their supply chain sustainability journey. (December 2023)
- Survey of ESG Ratings (with ESG Navigator) (July 2021)
Recent CEF in-network surveys and member "Asks":
- Spring 2025 Pulse Check: Sustainability Strategies, Reporting, and Organizational structures: Conducted during a time of significant political headwind and uncertainty to sustainability ideals to help members benchmark strategies, organizational structures, and reporting dynamics.
- "Employee Engagement in Sustainability" CEF Member Survey: Employee engagement aspirations, structures and strategies. (August 2021)
- Internal Cross-Function Sustainability and ESG Dynamics: How is your sustainability/ESG team organizing engagement with cross-functional leadership (i.e., senior leaders) to create synergy on sustainability/ESG issues and objectives? (April 2023)
- Peer recommendations for:
- Biodiversity Consultants and Frameworks for Incorporating Biodiversity Risk into ERM (December 2022)
- Legal Firms Specializing in ESG Regulation (March 2023)
- Service Providers (various categories), V4 (March 2023)
- How CEF Members are Accounting for Sustainability: Captures the range of approaches companies are taking to measure and manage environmental data, which elements they find most effective. (October 2023)
- Member Approaches to Internal Carbon Pricing (December 2022)
- "Organizing for Sustainability" 2021 CEF Member Survey: Sustainability-related organizational structures, capabilities, and investments. (June 2021)
- Reporting Large Hydro in the U.S.: When reporting in the U.S., do you include “large hydropower" in your grid mix as a renewable source? (April 2023)
- Scope 3, Cat. 1 supplier engagement, consultants & tools: Insights into how peers are determining baseline and engaging suppliers to drive category 1 improvements, and recommend service providers and tools for the task.
- State of Member Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Goals: In response to the current political landscape, including the Supreme Court's recent affirmative action decision, how are you approaching your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals? (October 2023)
- Tool Recommendations for Coordinating Review of Reports: Software/platform recommendations that allow many internal stakeholders to collaboratively review and comment on large reports, including ESG and sustainability reports. (October 2023)