Governance

Global Reporting Initiative launches sustainability database

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 11 NOV 2011  |  NEWS
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has launched a new database containing information on sustainability and environmental, social and governance of more than three thousand companies worldwide.

Ownership Matters hires Marty Chung

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 11 NOV 2011  |  NEWS
Ownership Matters (OM) has appointed Marty Chung as a senior governance analyst.

Australia to pilot Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 4 NOV 2011  |  NEWS
The Australian government has agreed to undertake a pilot of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), with Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Resources Minister Martin Ferguson announcing that the government will provide AU$12.7m to support ...

Commonwealth Bank reports lower customer satisfaction

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 2 NOV 2011  |  NEWS
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) reported a customer satisfaction rating of 75.2%, slightly lower than last year and putting the bank in 4th place against the other three main Australia banks, against a backdrop of full year net profits of AU$6.39bn.

Stockland increases green star ratings, reduces water use

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 2 NOV 2011  |  NEWS
Stockland, the diversified property group, has reported reducing water use across its office portfolio by 11% and its retail portfolio by 10%, commenced installing LED lights at its Stockland Nowra development and reported a 64% decrease in injury frequency ...

Using ESG factors to broaden fixed income analysis

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 28 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
Institutional investors are looking to apply environmental, social and governance (ESG) analysis to fixed income portfolios. Investment professionals say the trend towards using ESG factors as part of the fixed income investment process is a work in ...

Governance, environmental issues for AGM season

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 28 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
With the arrival of the annual general meeting (AGM) season, governance experts and sustainability researchers say that some issues at play this year will include executive remuneration and the processes around capital raisings, plus resolutions on environmental ...

Dean Paatsch launches new governance advisory firm

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 26 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
Governance experts Dean Paatsch, Martin Lawrence and Simon Connal have launched a new governance advisory business, Ownership Matters (OM).

ACSI reiterates no vote for News Corp board

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 21 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) has advised Australian superannuation funds to vote against members of the News Corp Board at the company's annual general meeting in Los Angeles on Friday.

Number of women on boards climbs slowly, ACSI finds

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 19 OCT 2011  |  NEWS
The number of women directors in the ASX100 continued to climb slowly in 2010, accounting for 26% of new non-executive directors and 12.2% of all directors, up from 11.1% in 2009, according to research by the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors ...