Investors weigh environmental, social risks of coal seam gasBY RACHEL ALEMBAKIS | FRIDAY, 4 NOV 2011 7:03AMThe mining of coal seam gas has never been more prominent in Australia, and institutional investors are weighing the environmental, social and political risks of being invested in companies with exposures to coal seam gas operations. While there are potential financial returns for projects mining natural gas from coal seam pockets in New South Wales and Queensland, institutional investors with long term time horizons have to balance those returns against the environmental risks of the mining process, particularly to water supplies, the risk of new and more costly regulation, and the social and reputational risks that come as stakeholders raise objections to coal seam gas. Related News |
Editor's Choice
Podcast: Powering the Transition
As billions of dollars flow into the energy transition, where are investors putting their money, and which infrastructure assets could benefit most from the shift to a lower-carbon and more resilient economy?
Consistent climate disclosures matter: Industry
Australia's peak investment bodies have joined forces to push for continued transparent and comparable climate disclosures.
Vision Super, NYC pension funds challenge Whitehaven's coal expansion
Vision Super and the New York City Retirement Systems (NYCRS) are backing a shareholder resolution pushing the Whitehaven Coal board's decision to allocate capital to new and expanded coal mines.
Neoen secures $1.8bn financing for Australian renewables
Neoen has secured $1.8 billion in debt financing to support a 1.2-gigawatt (GW) portfolio of renewable energy and storage assets across Australia, including projects under construction in three states.
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
APAC's CCS challenge is no longer recognition. It is investment.
Unlocking large-scale CCS deployment in APAC now depends on governments creating the policy certainty, revenue visibility and investment conditions needed ...
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 ...
ACCESS MORE CONTENT
Financial Standard
Australia's most-read trade publication for wealth management professionals.
