Social

BCCM forms task force to examine public service delivery

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 7 FEB 2014  |  NEWS
The Business Council of Co-Operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) has assembled a national task force that will prepare a green paper examining the "viability and roles for co-operatives and mutuals in delivering key public services."

Interest spurs new developments in social enterprise funding

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 24 JAN 2014  |  NEWS
The increased interest in using debt and equity instruments to fund social enterprises in Australia is leading financiers, investors and government bodies to consider various vehicles for financing businesses from within the community, including a category ...

Potential impact investment market estimated at $32 billion

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 20 DEC 2013  |  NEWS
The potential impact investment market is estimated at AU$32 billion over the next decade, but current capital commitments and active investors are small, relative to what is needed to achieve that figure, according to a recent report.

Kmart, Pacific Brands increase Bangladesh disclosures

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 20 DEC 2013  |  NEWS
Kmart's decision to publish the locations of its supplier factories in Bangladesh has been welcomed as a new level of transparency around supply chain risk.

Co-operatives "have role to play" in public service delivery

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 11 DEC 2013  |  NEWS
Co-operatives and mutuals have "a clear role" to play in the delivery of public services, according to a report commissioned by the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) and bankmecu.

GRI, RAFI to collaborate on human rights reporting standards

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 4 DEC 2013  |  NEWS
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Reporting and Assurance Frameworks Initiative (RAFI) will work together to improve corporate human rights reporting.

Good Shepherd Microfinance welcomes inquiry

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 29 NOV 2013  |  NEWS
Good Shepherd Microfinance has said that the Financial System Inquiry is an opportunity to find new ways to enable economic participation for the one in six Australians that are financially excluded.

Looking for social, economic return by creating shared value

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 27 NOV 2013  |  NEWS
Creating shared value (CSV) in companies and not-for-profits can unlock powerful social and economic returns, but requires internal champions that can integrate the approaches into organisational strategies, and can be a challenge when it comes to defining ...

AMP Capital identifies ESG risks to Australian retailers

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 22 NOV 2013  |  NEWS
The way that retailers manage their environmental, social and governance (ESG) exposures can be a proxy for their management quality, according to research from AMP Capital Investors.

Australian mining companies report on human rights policies

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 15 NOV 2013  |  NEWS
Respecting human rights is both a responsibility and a minimum requirement for companies, but there is also a strong business case for managing human rights as a way of reducing risk. A new report by the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) and the Global ...