Browsing: <a href="/tag/finance-awards-good-practice">Finance, awards, good practice</a> <i class="grey">•</i> <a href="/tag/investor-activity">Investor activity</a>

Activist Bill McKibben had some useful messages for institutional investors at a Sydney meeting, according to the Investor Group on Climate Change, while Greens Leader Christine Milne says it's time for the Future Fund to exit fossil fuels.

Banks can be 'agents of change' and environmental regulators can help them better manage risk in their dealings with clients, according to WA EPA chair Paul Vogel.

Fewer ASX200 companies are concerned about carbon price risk and more are taking action on energy efficiency, says a new Carbon Disclosure Project analysis that praises companies including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Wesfarmers and Woolworths for improved information sharing practices.

Assisted by senior regulators, a new association of bankers and investors plans to develop finance industry guidelines to ensure lenders properly scrutinise the environmental credentials of projects seeking funding.

Australian and international investor groups have demanded that oil and gas companies demonstrate that they are effectively controlling fugitive methane emissions, and they want intensive gas users to exert pressure as well.

NAB is co-founding a global initiative to ensure banks and businesses properly value ecosystem services in their decision-making, accounting and reporting.

Banks don't have the right to refuse credit to legitimate businesses on environmental grounds but there are plenty of other options, says NAB chief financial officer Mark Joiner.

Three Australian banks are listed in a new global carbon performance leadership index prepared by the prestigious Carbon Disclosure Project, while a regional report due out in November will detail how the ASX200 and NZ50 are faring.

In the wake of research showing sustainability reporting is rarely done well, two Australian investor organisations have launched new corporate guidelines – and have identified companies that are leading the way.

CE Daily trawls through Carbon Disclosure Project responses, released in New York overnight, and looks at how Australian companies are gearing up for the new climate policy regime. Plus, which companies responded – including Boral, AMP and News Corporation – and which didn't – including Nufarm, St George Bank and Fairfax.