Governance

PC: carbon price a more efficient means of reducing emissions

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 10 JUN 2011  |  NEWS
An analysis of nine of Australia's major trading partners by the Productivity Commission concludes that establishing a carbon pricing mechanism is a more efficient means of reducing consumption than other schemes that raise the explicit and implicit ...

Swan: carbon price vital for first-rate, first-world economy

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 8 JUN 2011  |  NEWS
Putting a price on carbon emissions is the only way to drive investment in cleaner energy innovation, and failing to do so would condemn Australia to becoming "an old-world, high-polluting technological backwater," Treasurer Wayne Swan said in a speech ...

GRI releases airport operator sector guidance

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 8 JUN 2011  |  NEWS
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has released a new sustainability reporting guidance for airport operators, offering a framework for reporting risks like wildlife strikes, noise and human trafficking.

New water accounting standard to measure quantity, rights and obligations

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 3 JUN 2011  |  NEWS
The Water Accounting Standards Board (WASB) is in the process of developing the Australian Water Accounting Standard (AWAS), which will quantify information about water, rights and other claims to water, and obligations against water. The preliminary ...

Majority of ASX100 report on ESG issues

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 3 JUN 2011  |  NEWS
A majority of ASX100 companies now report on ESG issues, with an increased focus on material issues and increased acceptance of sustainability risks such as human capital management, according to an analyst at Macquarie Bank.

Australia well placed to implement ETS

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 1 JUN 2011  |  NEWS
The Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia) has reported that Australia has the legal, regulatory and capital markets expertise to implement a carbon emissions pricing mechanism and transition to a lower carbon economy.

CAMAC releases review of executive remuneration governance

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 27 MAY 2011  |  NEWS
Companies should give a general description of their executive remuneration governance framework, but should be permitted to withhold commercially sensitive information pertaining to performance conditions and should not be required to use accounting ...

OECD guidelines to promote more responsible business conduct

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 27 MAY 2011  |  NEWS
Ministers from countries belonging to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and developing economies have agreed to a new set of guidelines to promote more responsible business conduct by multinational enterprises (MNEs).

Companies investing in sustainable operations showing returns

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 25 MAY 2011  |  NEWS
A study of five Australian organisations, including Blackmores and Woolworths, has shown that companies that invest in sustainable business operations and incorporate ESG factors into their financial reporting are seeing returns on investment much sooner ...

ANZ publishes interim corporate responsibility report

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 20 MAY 2011  |  NEWS
ANZ has released an interim corporate responsibility report for the financial year, highlighting progress in training staff for screening clients based on sensitive sector policies and reviewing investment portfolios against UNPRI guidelines, but also ...