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1 month ago | 
herbertsmithfreehills.com | Carolyn Pugsley |Timothy Stutt |Andrew Owen
While governance has always been a core area of focus for stakeholders, 2024 provided further examples of the adverse consequences that can flow for companies that don’t invest in strong corporate governance processes. In particular, 2024 demonstrated the importance of getting disclosure right, both in prospectus disclosure and through ongoing periodic and continuous disclosure.
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2 months ago | 
lexology.com | Timothy Stutt |Heidi Asten |Melanie Debenham |Mark Smyth |Jon Evans |Olga Klimczak | +3 more
In our bumper first edition for 2025, we scan the horizon for key ESG regulatory trends impacting the Australian market. Climate disclosure readiness and broader ESG-related reporting developments will be key themes this year. Employment-related matters such as diversity, equity and inclusion are also expected to remain hot topics this year, as is sustainable finance and the development of Australia’s sustainable finance infrastructure.
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Jun 3, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Timothy Stutt |Antony Crockett |Melanie Debenham |Lucy McCullagh
Rising with the tideWhile a significant range of new laws and regulation has been introduced in the past 12 months, our survey shows a clear sentiment that Australia remains behind the global frontrunners in regulating and practicing ESG. Across the globe, regions are pushing forward at different paces.
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Jun 3, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Timothy Stutt |Carolyn Pugsley |Cameron Whittfield
In an ESG landscape moving more rapidly than ever before, a key challenge is identifying what information needs to be shared with boards to support them in discharging their responsibility to oversee ESG risks and opportunities. With the proliferation of regulatory change across different jurisdictions and ESG domains, the amount of information that companies need to stay across is overwhelming.
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Jun 3, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Timothy Stutt |Mark Smyth |Carolyn Pugsley
Our survey finds that a majority of respondents belong to companies that have net zero commitments in place. They are now embarking on the next phase of work – operationalising these commitments and testing whether they are on track to deliver them. Of the 66% that have net zero commitments, 81% have allocated responsibility for delivery within the organisation, 68.5% have related policies and processes and 65% have integrated the commitment into business activities.
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Jun 3, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Timothy Stutt |Heidi Asten |Melanie Debenham |Kathryn Pacey
The dominant ‘E’ factor in ESG is expanding beyond climate change. Broader, interconnected environmental issues include impacts on protected flora and fauna, waste and water management, contamination and amenity impacts on communities. These continue to be reputationally significant and highly visible across certain industries. Biodiversity is increasingly a central issue in ESG, as focus shifts to nature repair and addressing the alarming decline in flora and fauna.
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Jun 3, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Timothy Stutt |Jacqueline Wootton |Olga Klimczak |Natalie Gaspar |Melanie Debenham
Today, ESG is near-ubiquitous across the Australian corporate landscape. As a lens on business decision-making, only 2% of companies surveyed in 2024 say they are not taking environment and social values into account when deciding investments. Further, 63% of companies confirm they have undertaken a formal ESG review in the last two years. Such reviews can take the form of focused, in-depth examinations by formal review committees of thematic risks and opportunities.
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Jun 3, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Timothy Stutt |Jacqueline Wootton
With opportunities, come challenges for businesses seeking to explore how to unlock value from prioritising and investing in understanding ‘S’ factors. Simply articulating an ESG-aligned purpose or commitment to specific ‘S’ goals is insufficient if not backed up by what employees and other stakeholders experience in practice. In fact, it is more likely to attract negative publicity, including criticisms of ‘social washing’, and lead to an erosion in employee engagement.
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Mar 6, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Timothy Stutt |Heidi Asten |Melanie Debenham |Mark Smyth |Jon Evans |Olga Klimczak | +1 more
Welcome to the March edition of Herbert Smith Freehills’ Australian ESG bulletin, ‘Keeping Up with ESG’. Our monthly ESG bulletin provides a targeted snapshot of key developments we see as reflecting the “must know” trends in the Australian market. In this edition, we spotlight the new ‘right to disconnect’ for Australian employees, and Australian mandatory climate-related disclosure developments.
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Jan 11, 2024 | 
mondaq.com | Timothy Stutt |Melanie Debenham |Silke Goldberg
Tim Stutt and Mel Debenham are joined by Silke Goldberg to debrief COP28 through the
lens of four paradigm shifts – (1) climate finance, (2) fast
tracking the energy transition and emissions reduction, (3) nature
and people, and (4) the "just transition". They close
with reflections on the vital role of lawyers and the legal
industry in bridging gaps and fostering agreement.
For more, check out our COP28 hub.
