Could the anti-woke movement take hold in Australia?BY ROSE MARY PETRASS | THURSDAY, 11 MAY 2023 5:12PMIndustry leaders have delivered a stark warning to Australian companies and government to ensure that workers are not left behind in a just transition to net zero - or risk the kind of political polarisation and populism that has given rise to the "anti-woke" movement in the US. Related News |
Editor's Choice
Blackstone raises $12bn for fifth energy transition fund
Blackstone has closed the fifth Blackstone Energy Transition Partners fund at $12 billion (US$8.7bn), more than 50% larger than its predecessor vehicle.
Gas transition to take 'decades rather than years': UniSuper
UniSuper chief investment officer John Pearce said as the pace of decarbonisation moderates, natural gas is increasingly recognised as an important component of the global energy mix.
Podcast: Urgent calls for deforestation-free lending
What role do Australian banks play in deforestation, and how can financial institutions better manage nature-related risks within their lending portfolios?
Anti-slavery commissioner calls for smarter due diligence for SMEs
Australian anti-slavery commissioner has proposed to cut out repetitive questionnaires for more targeted modern slavery checks for SMEs.
Videos
Brought to you by ![]()
Further Reading
Whitepapers
Modern slavery in the geopolitical crossfire
When investors frame the conversation about the risks of modern slavery, we tend to cite a common set of facts and a common set of arguments as to why ...
What ACCR v Santos means for your climate disclosures
The Federal Court has dismissed greenwashing claims brought by the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) against Santos.
Materiality is not a single judgment: It is a governance system
Much has been written about sustainability materiality in recent years. The more fundamental problem is that materiality is still treated as a single ...
Roundtable reflections: Is ESG dead?
"Is ESG dead?" we asked at our recent Responsible Investors (RI) roundtable in May this year. Short answer: no.
Expert Feed
Navigating the climate and biodiversity frontier
Climate change and biodiversity loss were once seen as niche sustainability concerns. Today they sit at the centre of financial analysis - understanding ...
Embracing complexity for sustainable returns
Ausbil says investors who embrace the complexity of dynamic company ESG, and sustainability profiles may be better placed to assess long-term risks and ...
Australia's social media age ban: A digital turning point for society and investment markets
In a global first and a warning shot for platforms, at the end of 2025 Australia became the first country to ban under-16s from social media, with penalties ...
How economics and energy security are driving the next phase of the energy transition
Looking ahead, the next phase of the energy transition will be defined by practical system build-out rather than headline climate commitments.
ACCESS MORE CONTENT
Financial Standard
Australia's most-read trade publication for wealth management professionals.
Great article and an important topic! Sustainability is becoming a dirty word and was never really accurate. We are going to have to finesse the language again... ESG principles are really about ensuring food and water security and environmental risk management for future generations. When financial security in the short term is threatened we keep borrowing from the future and this anti-wokeness is a sign of that fear escalation. It is current economic assumptions around limitless growth that are actually at fault but so much easier to blame anything that looks remotely like change.