Social

Foresters launches Social Investment Australia lending fund

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 13 JUL 2012  |  NEWS
Ed. note: substantially updated throughout with comment from Valda Wheeler, SIA

Transparency International publishes anti-corruption report

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 13 JUL 2012  |  NEWS
The largest publicly traded multinational companies have increased their reporting on anti-corruption programmes, but more needs to be done to improve transparency, according to a report by Transparency International (TI).

Most Asia Pacific private equity investors monitor ESG

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 6 JUL 2012  |  NEWS
The majority of Asia-Pacific investors in private equity monitor, or expect to monitor, general partners' environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies, in contrast to 70% of European investors and 27% of North American investors, according to ...

Global Reporting Initiative G4 draft out for public comment

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 6 JUL 2012  |  NEWS
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has published an exposure draft of the new G4 framework, and has opened it up for public feedback.

Women make gains on corporate boards

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 22 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
The percentage of women on ASX200 boards has risen to 13.9%, but it is the state-owned corporations of Queensland and South Australia that have the highest representation of women on boards, with 38.4% and 49.1%, respectively, according to the latest ...

SEFA selects Queensland social enterprise for first loan

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 15 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
Social Enterprise Finance Australia (SEFA) has made its first loan to a Queensland social enterprise that will provide accommodation to people in Cairns and Indigenous people from Cape York who travel to Cairns for health services.

ACSI may name companies with poor sustainability disclosure

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 15 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
The vast majority of ASX200 companies do not provide a sufficient level of disclosure on sustainability risk and disclosure "continues to be of questionable quality," according to research from the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI).

Corporate sustainability commitments rise, CSR action lags

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 8 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
More than 1800 companies joined the UN Global Compact in 2011, a 54% increase over 2010 growth figures, but an annual survey showed that while signatories are building environmental and social factors into strategies and policies, there are wide gaps ...

Banks' plans address Indigenous hiring, financial exclusion

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 1 JUN 2012  |  NEWS
All four of the largest banks in Australia have set formal targets and policies to increase employment of Indigenous Australians, engage with Indigenous communities, and increase Indigenous access to financial products and services. Representatives from ...

Disruptive innovation, ESG factors pose media sector risk

RACHEL ALEMBAKIS  |  FRIDAY, 25 MAY 2012  |  NEWS
Listed media companies are impacted by ethical and governance issues as well as industry-wide disruptive innovations, and investors should research carefully to avoid potential value traps, according to AMP Capital.