Social

Gaps in retailers' labour and human rights policy

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 28 JUN 2013  |  NEWS
Slightly more than a third of Australian consumer staples and consumer discretionary companies have a publicly disclosed supply chain labour and human rights (LHR) policy, and none of them have board oversight of LHR issues, according to research from ...

Westpac, CBA, Benevolent Society launch social benefit bond

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 21 JUN 2013  |  NEWS
Westpac Institutional Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the Benevolent Society have created an AU$10 million social benefit bond (SBB) funding the new Family Preservation Service.

NGS Super allocates to NSW social benefit bond

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 7 JUN 2013  |  NEWS
NGS Super has become the first superannuation fund to invest in a social benefit bond with an AU$500,000 allocation to an AU$7 million bond.

Pollinate Energy brings solar lighting to urban slums

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 5 JUN 2013  |  NEWS
Pollinate Energy, a not-for-profit social enterprise, is working to provide affordable solar lighting to people in India's urban slums.

Fund managers assess retailers' risks in Bangladesh

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 24 MAY 2013  |  NEWS
Fund managers and analysts are reassessing Australian retailer's supply chain management as a result of the collapse of the Rana Plaza textile factory in Bangladesh last month.

Reconciliation Australia receives $14.4m in budget funding

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 17 MAY 2013  |  NEWS
Reconciliation Australia will receive AU$14.4 million over the next four years as part of the government's 2013-2014 budget.

SEFA makes second loan, funds affordable housing purchase

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  WEDNESDAY, 15 MAY 2013  |  NEWS
Social Enterprise Finance Australia (SEFA) has made its second loan, to fund the purchase of housing units in a retirement home park in Tasmania.

National Sustainability Council issues macro-theme report

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 10 MAY 2013  |  NEWS
The National Sustainability Council has called its first public report a conversation-starter about macro-themes including inequality, education, climate change, sustainable growth through innovation and other factors impacting on Australia's future.

Industry to coordinate efforts to develop impact investing

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 19 APR 2013  |  NEWS
Building the impact investment sector will require coordinated action to grow what is currently a nascent market, a conclusion that has led interested organisations in the financial services sector to set up a financial services forum to address this.

StepUP loans provide social, economic return on investment

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 19 APR 2013  |  NEWS
The social and economic return of the StepUP micro-loan program run by National Australia Bank and Good Shepherd Microfinance is equal to $2.68 for every dollar invested, according to a report by the Centre for Social Impact (CSI).