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Social responsibility

May

Billionaire Sam Arnaout has a stake in casinos, property developments and a number of hotels.

The Rich Listers whose financial success (or pain) remains a secret

Billionaire Sam Arnaout’s private company Iris Capital has been able to shield his gambling profits from prying eyes. Corporate governance experts are asking why.

March

Corporate Australia did itself no favours by campaigning so actively in support of the Yes vote.

Qantas chairman says business should not be woke or anti-woke

Corporate Australia should pick its battles carefully. However, mainstream DEI and ESG initiatives have largely proved to add value to companies.

February

David Rowe illustration for Chanticleer column 7 August 2018 of ASX Corporate Governance Council chairman Elizabeth Johnstone

Killing ASX diversity rules should be start of governance reset

John Wylie’s new “first principles” rule book should be the starting point for the debate about what best practice corporate governance should now look like.

Shemara Wikramanayake, chief executive officer of Macquarie Group Ltd.

Banks must hold firm on net zero

Macquarie’s decision to exit the Net Zero Banking Alliance risks its bottom line and leaves its carefully built reputation as a green bank in tatters.

January

Security is already being stepped up ahead of the global elite’s arrival in Davos on Monday.

Has Trump killed DEI? Davos might have the answer

The World Economic Forum summit, where the liberal cosmopolitan elite gathers to network and self-congratulate, will be an early litmus test for Trump 2.0.

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The world’s biggest asset management firm, BlackRock is the latest in a spate of companies to quit the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative.

Why the ESG pushback isn’t about Trump

Large parts of the world want access to the things we take for granted, and that means large amounts of reliable and affordable energy.

LA fires

Climate heat is still on investors despite BlackRock’s net zero exit

Investor climate initiatives can and should play a role in stewarding the economy but have so far failed to bring real-world emissions into line with global goals.

December 2024

Qantas’ unravelling soon after reporting a record profit hangs over corporate Australia.

Political CEOs get tangled in their own red tape

Something has to give – and the coming year is the time for business to try to skew the balance back to a more even keel.

July 2024

Andrew Griffin, the chief executive of Balmain, is targeting companies that have failed ESG tests for his latest private credit fund.

This private credit fund is going big on companies failing ESG tests

Balmain Corporation said it had considered calling the strategy a “Vulture Series” – but decided naming it after a different bird of prey was more appropriate.

April 2024

Weaponising parliament’s power to compel witnesses to appear distracts from its purpose to ensure a well-informed and scrutinised democratic Australia.

Why supermarkets ‘fell off their pedestal’

Building social licence is a significant opportunity for retailers but as the travails of the two big supermarket chains show, it can be easily damaged.

Senior Liberal Paul Fletcher.

Legitimate to question Higgins’ $2.4m compo: Liberals

The opposition says it is legitimate to question Brittany Higgins’ payout given Justice Michael Lee found there was no political cover-up of her rape.

November 2023

Australian banks have $47bn of loans for livestock agriculture, the sub-sector with the biggest impact on nature.

Directors urged to get advice as nature risk turns liability

A groundbreaking legal opinion says company directors who fail to consider the toll on nature could be in breach of their duty of care and diligence obligations.

October 2023

Traditional Owners at Juukan Gorge in September 2020.

Rio Tinto chairman fears global blowback from a No vote

Dominic Barton frets over the impact on Australia’s reputation if the Voice referendum fails. He says Rio’s post-Juukan cultural overhaul is taking time.

August 2023

Prashant Murthy, AirTrunk’s chief financial officer, says it will put any savings from its new loans towards social impact initiatives in STEM education.

More than 40 banks commit to AirTrunk’s $4.6b debt deal

The data centre’s latest financing, the largest so far this year, includes Australian, Singaporean and Hong Kong dollars.

June 2023

Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, at lunch in London with the AFR’s Hans van Leeuwen

Ex Unilever boss on doing the right thing (and making money)

As the CEO who turned Unilever green, the Dutchman received many more bouquets than brickbats – even from shareholders. Over lunch, he shares his secret sauce.

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May 2023

Grace Forrest in London ahead of the launch of the Global Slavery Index.

From fashion to solar panels, taint of slavery stalks firms

Grace Forrest’s Walk Free has documented $26 billion of goods coming into Australia that could have forced labour in their supply chains.

 Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott, Harvey Norman executive chairman Gerry Harvey, CSR CEO Julie Coates and Ramsay Health Care CEO Craig McNally.

Good times won’t last so what’s the plan, CEOs ask

With weaker economic growth expected, it is crucial that businesses have enough flexibility to adjust to the tougher times, Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott says.

December 2022

FairSupply co-founders Arne Geschke and Kimberly Randle with their newest investor from AirTree, Jackie Vullinghs (middle).

Forrest’s Minderoo, AirTree back ESG tech platform

Kimberly Randle started her career as a commercial litigator in LA, but volunteering on weekends at an orphanage in Mexico motivated a career change that set her on the path to create FairSupply.

Rokt CEO Bruce Buchanan intends to give away all of his personal wealth.

Rokt joins Atlassian’s corporate philanthropy movement

Bruce Buchanan’s Rokt has joined Atlassian’s Pledge 1% initiative, committing to giving away some of its time, profits and product.

November 2022

Mark Cutifani in his London home, before his trip to Australia to set out a stall on the future of mining.

Most miners are ducking their climate responsibilities: Cutifani

The former Anglo American boss sees no clash between going green and boosting returns. And he warns Albanese against a windfall tax on energy producers.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/corporate-social-responsibility-1mt9