Events & News

Australian Treasury released the exposure draft legislation for mandatory climate-related financial disclosure (CRFD) requirements.

Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW) proposed the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy (FNCES).

Have you ever wondered if your organisation’s commitment to diversity goes beyond gender? Let’s explore the compelling case for embracing inclusion across diverse groups, including individuals with disabilities, and how it can revolutionise Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Alphinity is an active equities investment manager based in Sydney. Alphinity was established in 2010 to specialise in Australian equity investments. In 2015, Alphinity expanded into global equities, applying the same investment philosophy to a larger set of opportunities outside of Australia.

Climate Active, a program of the Australian Government, proposed to update its program which looks to lift its ambition in driving voluntary climate action, which includes reducing the reliance on offsets to meet objectives.

What are materiality thresholds? Derived from financial accounting, materiality thresholds are set limits for exposure to certain industries. By setting these thresholds, funds define how much a product will be exposed to these industries. Materiality thresholds may be used in combination with chosen approach(es) to responsible investing and, risk/return considerations. They allow for greater flexibility to progress their responsible investment strategy (i.e., integrating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into the process).

RIAA disagrees with the recent article, “Watering down super fund tests risks lower returns” published by the The Australian Financial Review. The Your Future, Your Super (YFYS) performance test is having a direct impact on the movement of capital to climate transition and achieving a net-zero economy.

The MySuper products of super funds demonstrating leading responsible investment practice outperformed those of non-leaders on average in 2022, according to a new study released by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). The Responsible Investment Super Study 2023, supported by PIMCO, has named 10 Responsible Super Fund Leaders* out of the 53 assessed for the study. These funds commit to good governance and accountability; implement and measure responsible investment approaches through activities such as engagement and voting and ESG integration; regularly measure outcomes; and exhibit a high degree of transparency. Dr. Zsuzsa Banhalmi-Zakar, Research Manager at RIAA said, “Aussies that are choosing to align their super with their values are not losing out on returns, demonstrating that strong financial performance and investing ethically are not mutually exclusive.” The study also shows that legislation has reshaped the sector recently. The most significant change being the introduction of mandatory requirement for funds to disclose the assets they invest in (which came into effect in March 2022). As a result, 100% of super funds that were assessed for the study now disclose portfolio holdings, as opposed to 2021 when 62% published only their top 20 holdings or less.

Australian Treasury released its draft Sustainable Finance Strategy focusing on key areas to progress Australia’s trajectory to net-zero.

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) is pleased to unveil the appointment of Co-CEOs, Estelle Parker and Dean Hegarty to take up the leadership of the organisation, marking an important step for RIAA with dual CEO representation in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Following an extensive global search, the RIAA board proudly announces the promotion of two distinguished executives within RIAA, who will jointly take over as Co-CEOs upon the departure of current CEO, Simon O’Connor in early December 2023. Over the past three years, Estelle Parker and Dean Hegarty have demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing a more responsible and sustainable financial system as Executive Managers at RIAA. Their leadership has been instrumental in RIAA’s growth and impact, placing the organisation in a robust position today. RIAA’s Chair, Ross Piper expressed, “The RIAA board is very pleased to announce the appointment of two proven and highly skilled executives as Co-CEOs. Estelle and Dean bring deep market knowledge, strong program delivery and commercial skills, as well as having demonstrated their leadership and expertise in responsible investment across our markets.”