Corporate Strategy

Miscommunication hampers institutional vote engagement

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 14 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
Although directors, institutional share owners and proxy advisers are eager to engage, particularly in the context of the share voting process, there is a failure to communicate at key junctures with all parties, particularly during the annual general ...

New standards for measuring GHG emissions in value chain

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 14 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol has developed two new standards that will measure greenhouse gas emissions across companies' value chains and across product life cycles.

Business, investors get certainty as carbon package passes

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 12 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The passage of the government's Clean Energy Future Legislation by the lower house of Parliament on Wednesday means businesses and investors have certainty around the carbon pricing regime and can plan accordingly for launch on 1 July 2012.

Analysing the link between women directors and corporate returns

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 12 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
A recent report noted that ASX500 companies with women directors had a higher average return on equity over the past three and five year time horizons, but there is no clear answer as to why this incidence seems to exist.

ASX500 companies increase number of women on boards

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 7 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
An analysis of ASX500 companies shows that there are 235 women holding 307 directorship positions, and 233 companies have at least one woman on board. The research note authored by the Reibey Institute noted that women hold 9.5% of ASX500 board positions ...

Copper producer joins International Council on Mining and Metals

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 7 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) has welcomed copper producer Codelco as a member company. Meanwhile, BHP Billiton CEO Marius Kloppers has taken over as chair of the ICMM.

Miners, stakeholders agree to actions in Upper Hunter Valley

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 5 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
Miners and community stakeholders in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales have agreed to a list of actions to address the impacts of coal mining on a range of issues from mine rehabilitation to water assessments, long term health impacts to local ...

GRI releases guidance for reporting on ecosystem services

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 5 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has issued a new set of guidances to assist companies to monitor and report their impacts and dependences ecosystem factors including on freshwater, climate regulation and pollination.

Systemic fault jeopardises proxy vote integrity

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 30 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
A systemic fault in proxy vote registrations means that investors have no way of confirming that their votes have been received properly and accurately counted. The final step of the proxy voting process is completed manually by registrars and there ...

Consumers doubt energy retailers' "green" credentials

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 30 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
A bigger problem for retailers, though, is the fact that only 13.2% of respondents believe the sustainability and socially responsible messages that electricity providers portray on their website and marketing. Nearly half - 47.8% - reported a neutral ...