Featured
How a banker, coal owner and pokies baron passed the ESG pub test
As the saying goes, the public is the only critic whose judgment is worth anything at all.
Miners set for green investment boost from new classification system
New guidelines developed with Treasury will help banks and super funds reduce greenwashing by classifying economic activity based on its emissions profile.
Samuel: A fork in the eye is less painful than AICD director’s course
Former competition watchdog chief Graeme Samuel says executives would learn more about governance reading APRA’s report on CBA than doing the company directors course.
Managing the S in ESG is crucial to energy transition success
This isn’t about virtue-signalling or a box-ticking exercise. It is fundamental to ensuring long-term resilience and retaining a social licence.
Investors demand greater voice on ASX governance review
The review needs to give investors a greater say in how the regime is tied to company profits, Sandon Capital founder Gabriel Radzyminski says.
This Month
Big super warned that AI is a carbon ‘time bomb’
Corporate Australia has taken to artificial intelligence with zeal but not enough attention is given to the emissions it creates, says the Australia Institute.
Corporates go cold on carbon neutral scheme
A top consultant says the government’s Climate Active program is no longer part of corporate decarbonisation plans.
Risk matters more than ESG label
How to balance good governance with financial return for shareholders remains a burning issue when it comes to ESG investing.
‘No need for ESG any more’: Business doubles down on bottom line
Investors and CEOs say non-financial issues remain a key risk for businesses, but we may have outgrown the phrase ‘environmental, social, governance’.
Why ESG and DEI could be the next big business risk
The instinctive reaction to the ESG and DEI “vibe shift” in the US was to persist, defend the status quo, and write off what was happening over there as an isolated phenomenon.
Net zero chief’s warning on bungled energy transitions
The boss of Labor’s new net zero transition watchdog says Australians have little appetite to see regional communities struggle.
What RoboDebt, Hayne and Rio Tinto tell us about ESG’s limits
The reason today’s senior executives are ‘shy’ about ESG is that their efforts have not prevented major scandals.
Directors’ club open to annual elections
Australian Institute of Company Directors chair Naomi Edwards says the business community could live with annual elections of directors.
May
AustralianSuper invests in Whitehaven Coal, says it is ESG consistent
The big investor says it was drawn to the miner’s shift to metallurgical coal and remains committed to net zero by 2050 after buying shares last week.
April
Navigating the ESG storm
The Australian Financial Review ESG Summit 2025, where Australia’s top leaders shape the future of responsible business in an era of rising scrutiny and accountability.
February
Newcastle-born ESG consultant Umwelt courts PE; $100m price tag tipped
Umwelt’s managing director Barbara Crossley, also a non-executive director at The University of Newcastle, has expanded it from a small, regional player to nine offices across the country.
January
Corporate climate action was sidelined in 2024. This year may be worse
ESG and green concerns became relative afterthoughts last year. A Trump presidency may push them further into the weeds.
November 2024
Founder problems? Pull the other one. Founder stocks are flying
Look at the companies whose shares have hit all-time highs this week and what do you see?
September 2024
ESG fights for its place in mining sector’s sacred tome
For decades, the JORC code has been the little-known foundation upon which $544 billion in market value has been built. Now it’s getting a big shake-up.
August 2024
Welcome to the nature positive investing movement
Institutional investors see natural capital as the next force in corporate governance, with big implications for companies growing and selling food.
Glencore says ESG mood has ‘evolved’ and it will keep coal mining
The Swiss-based commodities giant had proposed spinning off the fossil fuel into a separate company but has decided to retain the division.
June 2024
Boards plead with Labor not to rush broader sustainability rules
The warning from the Australian Institute of Company Directors came despite concerns Australia is “cherry-picking” global sustainability reporting standards.
Damning Tiwi Island judgment makes bank CEOs wary of in-person visits
Major lenders had promised to send bosses to meet traditional owners near Santos’ Barossa gas project. The Federal Court has made them reconsider.
Nature the next frontier but boards lack skills
Biodiversity is critical for maintaining a liveable planet, but a deficit of skills at the board level is proving a roadblock in accounting for its value.
Australia is ‘cherry-picking’ sustainability reporting standards
It is one of few jurisdictions that has agreed to apply new reporting standards only partially, says former super fund chief David Atkin.