Environmental

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 ...

CDP finds 68% of global corporates embed climate change strategies

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 16 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
More than half of the world's largest public corporations have embedded climate change strategies into wider business strategy, according to the 2011 edition of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Global 500 report.

Investors integrating ESG into decisions have "an edge"

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 14 SEP 2011  |  NEWS
Because financial markets don't price environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk in an efficient manner, investors that do integrate ESG into their analysis and decision making have an advantage, according to Jane Goodland, a senior investment consultant ...

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 ...