Investment

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 ...

Investor Profile: Colonial First State Global Asset Management

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 20 MAY 2011  |  NEWS
Colonial First State Global Asset Management (CFSGAM) is a global asset management business with A$145.5bn in funds under management. A signatory to the UNPRI, CFSGAM integrates ESG analysis into all levels of its investment process. Here, Amanda McCluskey ...

Integrating ESG an evolution for institutional investors

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 6 MAY 2011  |  NEWS
Raising institutional investors' awareness of ESG risk and return factors is an evolution, according to Martin Goss, senior investment consultant, head of client consulting, Australia at global consultancy Towers Watson. Institutional investors can look ...

Pacific Hydro to trade carbon credits from Chilean hydro project

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 4 MAY 2011  |  NEWS
Pacific Hydro, a renewable energy company owned by Industry Funds Management's Australian Infrastructure Fund, has received permission to create and trade carbon credits derived from a river hydro asset in Chile.

Woodside shareholders reject carbon disclosure resolution

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 29 APR 2011  |  NEWS
Woodside Petroleum Ltd shareholders - including signatories to the UNPRI - have rejected a resolution that would have amended the corporate constitution to require disclosure of the company's assumptions of future carbon prices, oil prices, demand for ...

ANZ reviewing "sensitive sector" policies

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  THURSDAY, 21 APR 2011  |  NEWS
ANZ Bank is reviewing its sensitive sector policies to ensure that their corporate responsibility framework is consistent with their customer engagement in socially and environmentally sensitive sectors including water, forestry, energy and mining and ...

Australian companies fail on labour reporting

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 8 APR 2011  |  NEWS
An analysis of 10 large Australian companies has found that they are failing to accurately report their labour practices management and performance.

UN PRI rolls out mandatory fees, expanded agenda

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 8 APR 2011  |  NEWS
Signatories to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) will have to pay an annual fee to the secretariat from this month as the organisation embarks on a plan to increase its presence in markets around the world and provide guidance ...

Sustainability reporting: the drive towards integration

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  THURSDAY, 24 MAR 2011  |  NEWS
Chi Woo, KPMG

Australian companies asked to disclose water exposure

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  THURSDAY, 24 MAR 2011  |  NEWS
Australian institutional investors have for the first time asked 60 publicly listed companies to disclose their water exposure, but are not yet convinced that exposure to water scarcity will have a material impact on investments in the medium term, according ...