The Greener Way

“The biggest challenge in our lifetime is the global market failure we call climate change” – Jeremy Cooper.

Jeremy has a radical idea to shake up Australia’s superannuation system for climate change progress.

With a wide-ranging career spanning over four decades, Jeremy Cooper is a regular commentator on superannuation and retirement income.

He was chair of retirement income at Challenger, led the ‘Cooper Review’ into the super system, and earlier served as deputy chair of the corporate watchdog ASIC.

Superannuation, with its long-term investment view, necessarily requires a transition to a sustainable economy to safeguard retirements – especially for the many members set to live to the end of the century.

And according to Jeremy, his plan is certainly achievable.

Join Senior Journalist Rose Mary Petrass to find out how. 

This NAIDOC Week, we welcome two guests to the show to discuss legislation, risk, best practice, storytelling as a tool for change, and the concept of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).

Australia has a crucial responsibility to protect and respect First Nations cultural heritage; there are serious consequences if things go wrong.

The recently launched Dhawura Ngilan Business and Investor Guides are the only First Nations-led resources on proactive best practice.

This week, Senior Journalist Rose Mary Petrass welcomes two guests to the show: Rachel Perkins and Anirudha (Anu) Nagar.

Rachel is an Arrernte and Kalkadoon Indigenous woman. She is a widely celebrated filmmaker, founder of Blackfella Films, and Executive Director of Cultural Heritage for the National Native Title Council (NNTC) and the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance (FNHPA).

Anu is the NNTC's Director of Clean Energy and Investment. He comes from a background defending the rights of Indigenous communities in development projects in South Asia, police accountability at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, and prosecution at the International Criminal Court.

Natalie Kyriacou joins senior journalist and host Rose Mary Petrass to discuss how Australia is tracking on ESG compared to our global peers.

The pair discuss Australia’s Nature Repair Market scheme and the Coalition’s proposal to ditch Australia’s 43% emissions reduction target if it wins the next election and invest in nuclear energy.

Natalie’s work as an environmentalist, founder, presenter, and board director has led to involvement driving ESG conversations in the corporate sphere.

Her work highlights the importance of nature and biodiversity in the climate conversation. The My Green World founder and chair is also involved with the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, UNESCO, CARE Australia, and W20 – the official women’s taskforce to the G20. 

Enhancing sustainability and incorporating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) matters into investment decision-making and ownership practices can be a vast and overwhelming task.

To get the job done right, it is a path that no responsible investor or asset manager should tread alone.

The United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI or PRI) is an international network of more than 5000 financial institutions with over US$121 trillion in assets under management, working together to advocate for ESG integration into investment activities to promote sustainability.

David Atkin, chief executive, has a long list of accolades to his name and prior experience at the helm of entities the likes of the Climate Council, AMP Capital, Cbus Super, ESSSuper, and more.

Senior journalist and host Rose Mary Petrass sits down with David to discuss the latest developments in responsible investment, effective stewardship strategies, and the growing focus on social impact within the investment community. 

ESG regulation is evolving fast. Whether it’s mandatory sustainability-related reporting, modern slavery regulations, or circular economy laws – what exactly do practitioners need to know?

In this episode, Andrew Peterson joins FS Sustainability senior journalist and host Rose Mary Petrass to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of ESG regulation.

The CEO of the Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia (BCSDA), Andrew brings an abundance of expertise on mandatory sustainability reporting, business leadership in sustainable development, circular economy practices, and more.

Tune in for a comprehensive update on national and global laws and standards, and how to better navigate an ever-evolving regulatory environment. 

When it comes to investing, information really is everything.

Finding the right ESG investment product that delivers returns alongside positive impact, while side-stepping potential greenwash or unethical business practices can be a rocky road – whether you’re an institutional investor, a wholesale investor, or a financial advisor. 

Here to shine a light on the right path is Aman Ramrakha. With almost two decades of experience leading research across banking, ratings, and governance solutions, Aman is the new executive director of research at Rainmaker Information.

In this episode, senior journalist and host Rose Mary Petrass sits down with Aman to unpack the evolution of ESG investing research – from early genesis into the future and the harnessing of artificial intelligence (AI).

Rainmaker Group is owned by ISS STOXX, publisher of FS Sustainability.

When it comes to ESG, there are so many acronyms. From TCFD to ISSB, GRI and GSSB. But today, we are talking about reporting against the TNFD – that is, the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures.

In this episode, senior journalist and host Rose Mary Petrass sits down with Tony Goldner, executive director of the TNFD, to talk about business risks, opportunities, dependencies, and impacts on nature, and how these might impact on the portfolio.

With nature-positive the new buzzword at the top end of town, nature-related data is no longer a CSR issue. It is a risk management issue that has the potential to disrupt business plans, cash flows, and returns to investors. 

Around one in six (18%) people in Australia live with a disability – around 4.4 million people – and roughly 90% of those have ‘invisible’ or ‘hidden’ disabilities.

Australians living with a disability have so much to offer organisations. From longer employee retention and fewer workers’ compensation claims to better leadership styles, disability inclusion has emerged as the missing puzzle piece in DEI and ESG investing.

Yet, people with disabilities are employed at a rate 30% lower than the general population. So why are so many organisations so slow in engaging disability in their operations and culture?

On this episode of The Greener Way, senior journalist and host Rose Mary Petrass chats with Corene Strauss, CEO of the Australian Disability Network and former CEO of Special Olympics Australia, about why inclusion matters – both for responsible investors, and the bottom line. 

Last week the Australian Federal Budget 2024-25 was handed down, coinciding with Sydney’s inaugural Climate Action Week.

In this episode of The Greener Way, we hear from Tim Buckley, founder and director of Climate Energy Finance, a public interest pro bono think tank that produces research and analysis on accelerating the global energy transition.

With more than three decades of financial market experience, Tim is a highly influential commentator on decarbonisation and sustainable finance.

Does the 2024-25 Budget pave a greener way for Australia’s clean energy future? What does a realistic road to net zero looks like? What are the key takeaways from Sydney’s first ever Climate Week?

Join senior journalist and host Rose Mary Petrass to unpack these questions and more.

In this episode of The Greener Way, we hear from Simon Gvalda, manager of the ESG and Responsible Investment Recruitment team at Kaizen Recruitment, which recently released its much-awaited salary guide for ESG roles in 2024.

Join senior journalist and host Rose Mary Petrass as we sit down with Simon to get career tips and advice on job hunting and promotions.

We'll also ask the question on everyone’s lips: how much are ESG professionals earning?

Let’s talk recruitment trends, the key skills that candidates must develop, the impact of the pandemic and work-from-home on an emerging workforce, and whether ESG roles are still in high demand in 2024.