Corporate Strategy

GRI Focal Point's local angle to sustainability disclosure

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 13 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
The Australian Focal Point of the Global Reporting Initiative is mirroring work at the international level to have language put into the Rio+20 outcomes documents calling for listed and large private companies around the world to put sustainability information ...

Corporate sustainability commitments rise, CSR action lags

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 8 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
More than 1800 companies joined the UN Global Compact in 2011, a 54% increase over 2010 growth figures, but an annual survey showed that while signatories are building environmental and social factors into strategies and policies, there are wide gaps ...

Banks' plans address Indigenous hiring, financial exclusion

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 1 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
All four of the largest banks in Australia have set formal targets and policies to increase employment of Indigenous Australians, engage with Indigenous communities, and increase Indigenous access to financial products and services. Representatives from ...

Australian Ethical Investments faces EGM board spill

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 1 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
A group of dissatisfied shareholders are seeking to spill the entire board of fund manager Australian Ethical Investments at an extraordinary general meeting called for 21 June.

Majority of ASX200 lack formal labour, human rights policies

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 30 MAY 2012  |  NEWS
Only 14% of ASX200 companies have formal policies addressing labour and human rights issues, despite the index's heavy weighting towards sectors with high frequency and/or severity of labour and human rights controversies, according to a new report from ...

Carbon price cost could have 0.1% impact on services sector

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 25 MAY 2012  |  NEWS
Although the impacts of the carbon price will vary depending on the business sector, the cost of the carbon price in the first year on the services sector could be as low as 0.1% of general ledger expenses, according to consultancy Pangolin Associates.

Carbon price to bring reporting and compliance complexities

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 25 MAY 2012  |  NEWS
Companies should familiarise themselves with the compliance side of the forthcoming carbon price to be aware of the mechanism and available assistance, and should review contracts to see how they will be affected by up-stream and down-stream cost pass-ons ...

AMP trials smartphone voting for annual general meeting

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 18 MAY 2012  |  NEWS
More than 500 AMP shareholders used a smartphone to lodge their proxy votes for the company's May annual general meeting, via technology developed by their registrar, Computershare.

AusLSA to provide access to environmental measurement tool

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 18 MAY 2012  |  NEWS
The Australian Legal Sector Alliance (AusLSA) has introduced an online platform allowing members to measure and report their environmental impact.

Plantic opens expanded bioplastics facility

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 18 MAY 2012  |  NEWS
Plantic Technologies, a bioplastics supplier of fresh food packaging, has opened new, expanded facilities in the Melbourne suburb of Altona that the company estimates will quadruple its production capacity.