Environmental

Investor Profile: Local Government Super

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 9 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
The New South Wales-based Local Government Super (LGS) manages nearly AU$6bn in assets with 100,000 members, including 60,000 employees working for local government or related employers throughout NSW and 40,000 former local government employees. It ...

Carbon price to have limited impact on superannuation funds

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 9 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
The proposed carbon price would have a limited impact on superannuation funds overall, amounting to a cost of up to 0.8% of revenue from companies held in the Australian equity portfolios of 14 of the largest superannuation funds. This conclusion comes ...

Fuji Xerox Australia reports waste reduction, increase in injury rates

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 7 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Fuji Xerox Australia reported a 41% reduction in waste to landfill and announced that it would move its Eco Manufacturing Centre to a five-star Green star rated facility in Sydney in its sustainability report for the 2010/2011financial year. However ...

PRI signatories develop farmland principles

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 7 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
A group of institutional investors have developed and launched the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) in Farmland, which seek to improve the sustainability, transparency and accountability of investments in farmland. The five principles provide ...

Australian property funds top GRESB list

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 2 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
A Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) survey of environmental and social performance at 340 of the world's largest property companies has found that the companies on average have reduced their energy consumption in 2010 by almost 3% and ...

Metcash drop paper supplier over Indonesian foresting concerns

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 2 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Wholesale distribution and marketing company Metcash has tested its newly implemented sustainable supply chain management program by dropping Solaris Paper because of concerns its parent company Asia Pulp and Paper is foresting in Indonesian native forests ...

Local Government Super properties awarded 6 NABERS stars

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 2 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
The New South Wales (NSW) based Local Government Super (LGS) has seen nine of its 11 directly owned buildings upgraded from five NABERS stars to six stars, the maximum score for environmental performance of commercial buildings.

Carbon Farming Initiative offers landholders revenue opportunities

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 31 AUG 2011  |  NEWS
The Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) will provide opportunities for landholders to generate tradeable carbon credits from carbon abatement and sequestration activities. But while landholders across Australian industrial sectors potentially stand to offset ...

Disclosing sustainability risks, engaging stakeholders vital to corporate interests

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 26 AUG 2011  |  NEWS
Although the growing acceptance of reporting frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is spurring strategic thinking about disclosing and managing sustainability risks, companies and other organizations need to do more, including setting ...

R. M. Williams Agricultural Holdings to fund NT property conservation with carbon rights

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 19 AUG 2011  |  NEWS
R. M. Williams Agricultural Holdings (RMWAH) has purchased a AU$13m pastoral property in the Northern Territory with the goal of funding the restoration and conservation of land through the sale of carbon rights and bio-diversity values.