FS Sustainability

In case you missed it, here are the top stories in ESG and responsible finance from last week. 1. Funds SA loses ESG executive: The director of responsible investment Joel Quintal will depart Funds SA in December after more than five years with the $46 billion corporation. https://lnkd.in/g5btTuSf. 2. Perpetual reveals decade of philanthropy insights: Perpetual, for the first time, has laid bare a decade's worth of data, unveiling insights into the philanthropic and charity sectors. https://lnkd.in/g9etAMFC 3. Green investors face short-term bumps: https://lnkd.in/gnbjkpPd #ESG #news #sustainablefinance #responsibleinvesting #finance #sustainability #climate

“Australia is a major exporter of LNG and coal, the majority of that goes to China, South Korea and Japan, all three are on net zero transition plans. “So how is Australia going to work with its Asian trading partners to actually map out a pathway for both economies to get to net zero, and for Australia to remain a renewable powerhouse?” COP29, the 2024 UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change, ran from November 11-22 in Azerbaijan. The main decision was how to pay for poorer nations' climate financing - decarbonisation, adaptation, and resilience to climate impacts – which are hitting them hardest despite contributing the least. The major win of the event was an eleventh-hour agreement on carbon markets, while some other negotiations failed the reach their goals, or reached an impasse. Richie Merzian was on the ground in Baku during COP29. Richie, the CEO of Clean Energy Investor Group, joins host Rose Mary Petrass, senior journalist at FS Sustainability. https://lnkd.in/gUSCCTXP #podcast #COP29 #climate #finance #investing #ESG #cleanenergy

In case you missed it, here are the top stories in ESG and responsible finance from last week: 1. First Aussie circularity fund shoots for $1bn: https://lnkd.in/eiXugcju 2. Green moves: Westpac, CareSuper, BlackRock, Quinbrook, Ortec, CAA: https://lnkd.in/e74Udr4m 3. ETFs recover and dominate: https://lnkd.in/eSxGqv8d

“On the one hand, we have to admit this election is definitely a blow to climate action in the US; it’s definitely a blow to climate action globally, quite frankly. “But the US is only 14% of global energy demand, it’s not the whole picture. And the fact is, you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube.” Donald Trump’s election victory has far-reaching implications for the clean energy sector and climate finance more broadly. Trump, who believes climate change is a "scam", will repeal the Inflation Reduction Act - increasing US emissions by four billion tons to 2030 according to MIT - wind back environmental protection laws, exit the Paris Agreement, and increase fossil fuel spending. Let's jump in the time machine and look at the next four years under Trump, with our guest Lachlan Carey, Washington-based expert on clean energy investment. https://lnkd.in/eaEpMvzb #podcast #Trump #cleanenergy #climatechange #climate #investing #sustainableinvesting

Carbon emissions from listed equities may have reached a turning point, according to new findings from financed emissions data and climate risk analyst Emmi. https://lnkd.in/g3aAvRzf #carbon #ESG #climatechange #climateaction #finance #listedequities #investing Ben McNeil

The world's largest development financier has released its long-awaited policy on responsibly divesting, a historic first in its 80-year history. The new policy builds on the Sustainability Policy of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) - the World Bank's lending arm. It aims to mitigate environmental and social harm when making decisions about exiting investments. The bank has faced criticism for leaving projects abruptly without remediating harm. https://lnkd.in/geki4RyK #worldbank #IFC #internationaldevelopment #finance #ESG Rachel Alembakis U Ethical Investors Alison George Australian Ethical Investment

Despite greenwashing being a major deterrent to responsible investment in 2024, the sector still saw $1.6 trillion inflows and returns outperformed the traditional Australian shares market. Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA)'s (RIAA) annual benchmark report found half (52%) of respondents cite greenwashing as a major deterrent - up from 45% in 2022. https://lnkd.in/ggeh6HkT #greenwash #investing Estelle Parker Emma Herd EY #sustainable #responsibleinvesting #finance

Why climate-linked exec pay fails Investors increasingly look to companies that tie pay to climate goals but despite its popularity, it largely fails to achieve results, a new study from Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) and Pollination reveals. In the past four years, the practice rose from 10% to 54% in ASX200 companies. https://lnkd.in/g32KQrc8 #salaries #compensation #remuneration #pay #climatechange #climateaction Rebecca Mikula-Wright Zoe Whitton

In case you missed it, here are the top stories in ESG and responsible finance from last week: 1. ASIC calls for feedback on disclosure regime: To help businesses comply with the new requirement, the corporate watchdog this week released a draft Regulatory Guide 000 Sustainability reporting (Draft RG 000). https://lnkd.in/g3VmYXQx 2. APRA urges stronger climate risk response: Australia's prudential supervisor says while larger entities continue to improve their climate risk maturity, there remains room for improvement. https://lnkd.in/gXfmShUb 3. Australia among leaders in lowering emissions: Defying the global increase of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel, Australia has slashed its emissions year-on-year, a trend likely to continue. https://lnkd.in/gN47MtET

It’s fair to stay that AI is officially here to stay – it’s everywhere, in our workplaces and even in our homes. However, data centres used in AI churns through energy and leaving behind a hefty carbon footprint, especially when we consider scope 3 emissions. Our latest podcast features Prabakar Shrinivasan, Director and Co-Lead of Artificial Intelligence at Synechron, the global consulting firm. With a strong presence in the financial space, including some of Australia’s largest banks, Synechron brings insights on how companies can harness AI’s power sustainably without compromising performance. The host of The Greener Way is Rose Mary Petrass, senior journalist at FS Sustainability. https://lnkd.in/eBsjCsdM #podcast #AI #artificialintelligence #generativeAI #carbonemissions #carbonfootprint