Projects

"Evaluation specification for environmental, social and governance (ESG) of manufacturing enterprises" is based on national laws, regulations and other national standards, as well as refers to international standards and evaluation systems. It constructs an ESG evaluation guide from the three dimensions of environment, society and governance that is both in line with international standards and suitable for the actual practices of my country's manufacturing enterprises.

The establishment of this standard has built a scientific, reasonable, independent, objective, and consistent ESG evaluation index system for Chinese manufacturing enterprises. It helps promote the enhancement of ESG management levels and risk response capabilities of manufacturing enterprises, supports their green and low-carbon transformation and high-quality development, and guides these enterprises in high-quality ESG information disclosure. This alleviates the information asymmetry between investors and investee companies, provides guidance for ESG evaluation institutions, and accelerates the construction of an ESG evaluation system with Chinese characteristics.

The Development of "Evaluation specification for environmental, social and governance (ESG) of manufacturing enterprises" 

For futher information about this group standard, please click here.

Project Partnerships:

Olympus Hedge Fund Co., Ltd. (OHFI) was established in 2014 with a paid-up registered capital of RMB 125 million. Currently OHFI is headquarted in Hangzhou, with offices in Xianghu, Shanghai, Beijing and Sanya, where more than 80 employees work.

In February 2019, OHFI was registered as one of the first three private asset allocation fund managers at the Asset Management Association of China and issued the first private asset allocation fund in China.

 OHFI is set to launch research hub focused on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. Launched in partnership with CRBI, this cutting-edge initiative aims to examine how AI and ESG can work in tandem to empower businesses.

Project Partnership:

Amidst the rapid development of current E-era and the global scarcity of metal resources, this project is initiated by CRBI team, supported by the Environmental Sustainability Committee from University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC ESC) as well as student associations and clubs.The project focuses on the management of Electronic Waste (E-waste) on campus, aiming to enhance students' awareness of E-waste, strengthen campus recycling and management, ensure the effective operation of campus circular economy, and cultivate the consciousness of sustainable practice in the circular economy among teachers and students. The project has successfully attracted the active participation of nearly a thousand UNNC students, and recently the project team, based on student feedback, completed a research report that detailed the analysis of students' E-waste disposal and recycling behaviors and proposed strategies to improve the management of E-waste on campus.

E-waste Survey Booth

Lecture on E-waste Management and Circular Economy

 

"Green Nottingham" - Sustainability Carnival

 Project Partnership:

UNNC Environmental Sustainability Committee

View report: Report on Students' behaviour toward E-waste Disposal and Recycling at University of Nottingham Ningbo China

B Corps (B Corporations) is a concept proposed by B Lab. It selects a group of for-profit enterprises that meet high standards in social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability through the B Impact Assessment (BIA). Currently, there are more than 9,000 B Corps worldwide, spanning over 160 industries, and they are committed to using the power of business to address social and environmental issues.

 As an integral part of material life, corporations are a significant force in promoting environmental and social welfare. The Center for Responsible Business and Innovation (CRBI) has teamed up with B Corp China to organize visits to globally leading sustainable B Corp stores, allowing participants to gain firsthand understanding of sustainable business practices.

Project Partnership:

B Corps China

Global capital is undergoing a wave of value reconfiguration. Sustainable development has long been a global focal point. Today, with ESG investments surpassing $40 trillion, mastering sustainable financial analysis has become an essential skill for the next generation of business leaders. The ESG Finance Project was proposed and planned by Professor Jing Dai, Director of the Centre for Responsible Business and Innovation (CRBI), and was co-planned and developed by Dr Youzong Xu, Assistant Professor inEconomics at Nottingham University Business School China.

Dr Ying Jiang, Associate Professor in Finance at Nottingham University Business School China, conducted the first offline training session for participants. The training focused on key areas such as ESG evaluation metrics, rating agency comparisons, literature review, and database utilisation, aiming to establish a robust foundation of ESG knowledge. In the second training session of this Summer Student Research Project on ESG Finance, CRBI invited Dr Liang Dong, Assistant Professor in the Department of  Public and International Affairs at the School of  Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, to deliver an online lecture titled "Carbon Emissions in the Financial Sector: Concepts, Accounting Methods, and Policy Implications". The project mentorsand student research assistants collaborated closely, and after four months of data analysis, they produced a comprehensive research report in Spring 2025. This study estimates two types of investment and financing activities for 19 major banks inChinese mainland. Given the availability of industry carbon emission factor estimation data and in line with the estimation years of other financing carbon emission reports in the industry, this report estimates the financing emissions of commercial loans and residential mortgages for 12 industries in December 2021.

Equipped with cutting-edge knowledge and skills from the training, students are now better prepared to engage in future academic and research endeavors. The project has garnered wide spread acclaim among participating students. Notably, aparticipant has received an offer from international universities for a relevant degree programme, having strengthened the applications through this research initiative. This outcome significantly enhances the project's practical value.

View report: Financial Responsibility in the Climate Crisis: Financed Emissions in China's Banking Sector and Reforms for Green Policies