Month: February 2025

By Minjia Yang and Kristen Coco

A new report on sustainable finance developed by the United Nations Global Compact Network USA features the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), highlighting the critical role of social sustainability in driving financial strategies and investment decisions.

The report, Driving Progress: Sustainable Finance for the Advancement of the SDGs, “explores how American businesses leverage sustainable finance to address the world’s most pressing challenges while generating competitive returns.” Examples from IWBI, along with other industry-leading companies like Citi and International Motors, showcase how businesses are embedding sustainability considerations into financial strategies to drive long-term value. IWBI case studies reflect its leadership in advancing people-first strategies and integrating health, well-being and equity considerations into financial decision-making, corporate governance and investment frameworks.

We caught up with Minjia Yang, Vice President and Head of Sustainable Finance at IWBI, who recently joined leading finance and sustainability experts to help launch the report at GreenBiz 25 during the Driving Progress: Sustainable Finance for the Advancement of the SDGs event. Here’s what she had to say about the growing role of people-centered strategies in sustainable finance.

Q: What’s the state of sustainable finance today, and how can sustainable finance align corporate objectives with social and environmental impact?

A: Despite the rapid expansion of sustainable finance, social factors remain significantly underrepresented, accounting for just 23% of sustainability-linked financing since 2017.(1) At IWBI, we are working to change that by demonstrating how prioritizing human health, safety and well-being can drive measurable business and societal benefits.

Sustainability-linked loans, bonds and other financial instruments can incorporate verified social sustainability strategies, such as those outlined in the WELL Building Standard (WELL), to enhance business performance and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are seeing firsthand how organizations and investors are increasingly leveraging third-party verified sustainability frameworks to enhance workforce well-being, strengthen impact measurement and improve organizational resilience.

IWBI’s inclusion in the UN Global Compact Network USA report further emphasizes that social sustainability is a critical piece of the finance puzzle. The report helps to validate the awareness that investments in people-centric strategies are essential to long-term financial resilience and impact. Research cited in the report shows that investments in healthier workplaces, fair labor practices and inclusive design strategies can drive financial returns by improving productivity, reducing absenteeism and enhancing employee retention.

Q. What are your top three takeaways about the evolution of sustainable finance?

A. The future of sustainable finance is about leadership. Companies have a choice: to lead or to follow. With 40+ sustainability taxonomies worldwide, global businesses can no longer afford to focus only on domestic regulations. Proactive action on sustainability regulation and finance is essential for long-term business resilience.

Sustainability labels may evolve, but the core values remain. Labels, definitions and terminology in sustainability will continue to shift, but the fundamental principles that bring us together—building a responsible, resilient future—remain unchanged.

True sustainability means both environmental and social resilience. Social sustainability strategies, like those found in the WELL Standard, are increasingly embedded in sustainable finance frameworks and corporate reporting globally, demonstrating the financial value of investing in people.

Q: What’s next on the horizon for IWBI’s continued leadership in sustainable finance?

A. As a global sustainability standards body with a dedicated focus on social sustainability, IWBI will continue to help shape international conversations on sustainable finance, responsible investment and corporate reporting. Through our work, we’re providing a framework to integrate people-first sustainability strategies into financial instruments and corporate governance.

In 2024, IWBI launched the Sustainable Finance Task Force, bringing together leading organizations—including UN Global Compact Network USA, World Economic Forum, Milken Institute, Aviva Investors, AON, Basis Investment Group, Aligned Climate Capital, GBCI and others—to accelerate the flow of capital and policy toward social sustainability.

Building on this momentum, IWBI will publish a comprehensive special report on sustainable finance this year, featuring case studies from pioneering organizations worldwide. This new resource is designed to drive innovation and expand the adoption of holistic sustainability strategies in financing and investment activities across industries and global markets.

In July of this year, we’ll also host our second-ever Social Sustainability Summit in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to further explore sustainable finance strategies, the equitable transition to a low-carbon economy, global regulatory trends in sustainability and innovative approaches to enhance well-being for people and the planet.

With WELL adoption spanning nearly 5.8 billion square feet across 136 countries as of January 2025, IWBI has played a pivotal role in demonstrating how organizations, financial markets and regulatory frameworks can better incorporate social impact metrics alongside environmental considerations.

Q. And finally, what’s one tip you have for organizations starting their sustainable finance journey?

A: Organizations should consider holistic KPIs for sustainable finance—including both environmental and social metrics such as employee health and well-being, community engagement, and end-user impact. These factors are not only crucial for a sustainable finance framework but also for long-term business success. (2, 3, 4)

Download the UN Global Compact Network USA report: Driving Progress: Sustainable Finance for the Advancement of the SDGs.

For more information on IWBI’s role in sustainable finance, visit www.wellcertified.com/esg and access the WELL – Sustainable Finance Slide Deck.
 

(1) International Finance Corporation, Social KPIs Matter: Setting Robust Indicators for Sustainability-Linked Finance, Washington D.C., 2023, https://commdev.org/wp-content/uploads/pdf/publications/Social_KPIs_Matter_Draft_for_Discussion.pdf
(2) “The Financial Impact of Healthy Buildings,” MIT Media Lab, December 1, 2020, [https://realestateinnovationlab.mit.edu/research_article/the-financial-impact-of-healthy-buildings/ ](Brown, Martin, “Demonstrating the New Normal,” Specifi, https://www.specifi.co.uk/demonstrating-the-new-normal/)
(3) Tsai, H., Wu, Y., “Changes in Corporate Social Responsibility and Stock Performance,” Journal of Business Ethics, 178, 735-755, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-021-04772-w
(4) Brown, Martin, “Demonstrating the New Normal,” Specifi, https://www.specifi.co.uk/demonstrating-the-new-normal/

View original content here.