Environmental

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.

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 ...

Regulatory barriers slowing cogeneration technology usage

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 28 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Cogeneration - combined heat and power - and trigeneration - combined cooling, heat and power - offer "significant" environmental and economic benefits to the Australian building industry. But "a complex and burdensome connection process and regulatory ...

Sustainability measures decline in information technology

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 23 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
A survey of seven countries evaluating the maturity of information and communication technology (ICT) sustainability practices has found that Australia is a midrange performer and that its performance in implementing and institutionalising sustainable ...

GRI release reporting standards for construction and real estate

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 23 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has released standards specific to the construction and real estate sectors, demonstrating how companies can report carbon emissions, management and remediation of contaminated land, and sub-contracted labour issues ...

ESG analysis now part of mainstream investment management

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 21 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Environmental, social and governance risk considerations have evolved from a fringe area of investment management to become mainstream calculations. But asset owners and managers are seeking further integration into fixed income and cash asset allocations ...

Integrated reporting discussion paper released

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 21 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Business reporting must evolve to account for the changed realities brought about by globalisation and its resulting interdependencies, and increased population growth and increasing global consumption, according to a discussion paper by the International ...

Renewable energy poses opportunities, risks for investors

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 16 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Renewable energy investments have appeal for institutional investors as infrastructure projects that provide a hedge against the anticipation of future costs on carbon emissions as well as meet sustainable investment targets. But while global bodies ...

Carbon price an "entry point" for sustainability discussion

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 16 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
The proposed price on carbon is proving a "entry point" for discussing environmental, social and governance risk with CFOs and other financial executives who don't currently report on sustainability, according to Aaron Magner, director of sustainability ...