The increasing complexity of environment and climate-related regulation in Australia and globally poses a great challenge for organisations across all sectors.
As the environment impacts on people and communities, and good corporate governance minimises the risks of adverse impacts, sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges and opportunities are interlinked.
But sustainability goes further than mere compliance – it requires organisations to adopt a holistic approach to environment and climate-related issues. This is demanded not only by the law, but by the society in which organisations operate.
How can GCs identify, assess and capitalise on ESG opportunities and develop a leading ESG risk and compliance culture across their organisation?
Read MoreBeyond Sharma: when community expectations exceed the law
The Full Federal Court of Australia’s appeal decision in Minister for the Environment v Sharma raises serious questions about the ability of tort law to protect against prospective human rights breaches arising from the future impacts of climate change.
Read MoreSharma appeal decision: end of the road for novel duty of care?
The Full Federal Court of Australia has ruled on appeal in Minister for the Environment v Sharma that the Commonwealth Minister for the Environment does not owe a duty of care to children to protect them from the harms of climate change.
Read MoreCorporate ‘greenwashing’ the latest target for climate change litigation
Consumers, regulators and stakeholders are clearly alive to ‘greenwashing’ and, in an atmosphere where climate-related shareholder activism and litigation loom large for corporate Australia, there is a growing need to manage and understand this risk.
Read MoreInfrastructure contracts playing catch up to low embodied carbon construction materials
It is critical that the construction and infrastructure sector successfully pivots to using materials involving drastically reduced greenhouse gas emissions when manufactured, transported and used - but important contractual issues will need to be addressed.
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