A new Australian Conservation Foundation report says the nation's big four banks can't finance Galilee Basin coal projects while meeting their obligations under the Equator Principles.
BHP Billiton's latest suite of annual reports give unprecedented prominence to the company's views on climate policy and its strategies for managing carbon risk.
A group of shareholders will put a resolution to the Commonwealth Bank's AGM in November requiring the company to disclose the quantity of greenhouse gas that will be emitted by the projects it has financed.
A 'climate leaders' course in Melbourne featuring Al Gore included a substantial number of participants from the corporate sector, according to environmental consultant Matt Drum.
Australian banks are involved in a global project to develop guidelines for financial institutions on assessing and reporting the carbon risks and opportunities associated with their loans and investments.
NAB, Iluka Resources, Orica and Adelaide Brighton are among five Australian companies newly classified as global leaders for their efforts to decouple revenue growth from natural capital impacts.
Global investors with more than $3 trillion under management have asked 45 companies - including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, BP and Xstrata - to explain how they are planning for an 80% reduction in fossil fuel emissions by 2050.