Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA)

2024 was a year of momentum in the responsible investment sector. Our Co-CEOs Dean Hegarty and Estelle Parker took a moment to reflect on several strategic projects that have set up RIAA for the long term. As we approach the end of the year, we would like to thank our valued members, board, and RIAA team for your generous support and contributions in 2024. From delivering research reports, policy engagements and toolkits to hosting events and working group meetings, your passion, dedication and belief in our mission has been a driving force behind everything we’ve achieved. Next year marks RIAA’s 25th birthday, having been established by a group of committed financial advisers in 2000. We look forward to continuing our mission to align capital with achieving a healthy and sustainable society, environment and economy next year and beyond! View our 2025 upcoming events: https://lnkd.in/gNQ9B_Ja #responsibleinvestment #sustainablefinance 

👏🏼 The Australian Government has described the Dhawura Ngilan Business and Investor Initiative as best practice to achieve improved cultural heritage protection. In its First Nations Clean Energy Strategy, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water highlighted the Dhawura Ngilan guide on how investors can support First Nations peoples to manage and protect their heritage and Country in accordance with the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). The Dhawura Ngilan Business and Investor Initiative is led by the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance in partnership with Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) and UN Global Compact Network Australia. We join with the National Native Title Council to welcome the release of the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy. RIAA’s First Nations Peoples’ Rights Working Group was established in 2020 to help advance the rights of First Nations peoples; elevate First Nations peoples’ participation and voices in the investment sector; and increase access, scale and impact of First Nations peoples’ related investment activity. Our submission – First Nations Clean Energy Strategy (link in comment) emphasised that this Strategy presented an opportunity to support the Australian Government’s commitment to embed sustainability into the financial system and unlock capital in support of Australia’s national economic, social and environmental goals. The energy transition should be used as an opportunity to address First Nations disadvantage and promote First Nations economic self-determination, while positioning Australia to overall benefit from this significant global economic transformation.

Super early bird rates for the RIAA Conference Australia 2025 close this Monday 23 December. Secure your 2025 conference ticket at 2024 early bird rates. In addition, RIAA members enjoy an extra 30% discount. Details: 📅 28 & 29 May 2025 📍 ICC Sydney / online For more information and to register: https://lnkd.in/gxDwRt6K #RIAAconf2025 #superearlybird #responsibleinvestment

"If done right, Australia’s financial product labelling regime will help avoid greenwashing and channel capital to more sustainable outcomes. But it must be principles-based and be anchored in widely accepted industry standards," says Estelle Parker, Co-CEO of Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). According to RIAA’s research, 88% of Australians expect their super or other investments to be invested responsibly and ethically. However, 78% of Australians are concerned about greenwashing in the finance sector, with 79% of Australians more likely to invest in a super fund that was certified by an independent body. In her blog, Estelle discusses the Australian Treasury’s Sustainable Finance Roadmap including the development of a product labelling regime, and delves into the Responsible Investment Standard from RIAA’s Certification Program.     Learn more in the full blog: https://lnkd.in/gSHvXFH7 #productlabelling #certification #greenwashing #responsibleinvestment  

Thank you to all the RIAA members who joined us, both in person and online, for our AGM last night! As RIAA Chair, Ross Piper, mentioned, FY24 represented "a solid year of impact". Last financial year, RIAA delivered a number of strategic projects that have set the organisation up for the long-term, while continuing to provide resources, events, policy engagement, working groups and research to align capital with a healthy and sustainable society, environment and economy. All of this has been achieved amidst a year of global and domestic policy changes and increased regulatory scrutiny of the sector. A number of very high-quality candidates again nominated for RIAA's board and at the AGM, new members of RIAA's board were announced. Congratulations to Vanessa Stevens and Rachel Alembakis on their election. Re-elected board members include Ross Piper, Farren Williams and Måns Carlsson OAM. Also continuing are Francie Doolan (Garretto), Daniela Jaramillo, Arti Prasad, Tom May, Liza McDonald GAICD, Kate Turner, Helen Skinner, Dean Hegarty and Estelle Parker. We also bid farewell to retiring board members Kathryn McDonald (Mohan) and Matthew Mimms who have been tremendous supporters of RIAA's work, giving their time, energy and incredible expertise over 15 years collectively to help the organisation thrive over a period of significant growth. Huge thanks to all RIAA members, board members, working group members and committee members, to RIAA's amazing team, for a fantastic year. And to Morningstar for hosting another successful AGM. 👇🏼 See our annual report in the comment below.

We are pleased to announce that Lili Pechey, Associate Director of Natural Capital at National Australia Bank (NAB) has been appointed as Co-Chair of the Nature Working Group’s External Reference Group joining Jane Hutchinson, Co-CEO at Pollination Foundation. Lili has shared, "I am delighted to be appointed Co-Chair of the Nature Working Group’s External Reference Group (ERG) at a time when the economic importance of nature is gaining prominence. I will be looking to harness the expertise of the ERG to support and amplify the work of the Nature Working Group."   Joining Lili, Jane Hutchinson has shared, "My warmest congratulations to Lili on this appointment. I look forward to working with Lili and the ERG membership in bringing nature and finance experts closer together to share, learn and grow our collective impact."   RIAA welcomes this appointment and looks forward to working together with the ERG to share technical knowledge and expertise in nature and finance, provide a platform for communication and connection, and identify opportunities for collaboration. Jane and Lili together as the Co-Chairs bring nature and finance expertise as we work together towards contributing to nature positive outcomes.   Estelle Parker, Co-CEO of RIAA has shared that "With Lili’s strong experience in the finance sector in the field of natural capital, and Jane’s incredible expertise in conservation, these two will provide fantastic leadership to ensure RIAA’s nature work is mission-aligned, science-based and practical, as we work to drive capital to more sustainable outcomes."   For any information regarding the Nature Working Group for which the External Reference Group is a subgroup, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gRiWKR-f

Come and celebrate RIAA's successes over FY24 at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) next week! Hear directly from Chair of the Board Ross Piper and Co-CEOs Estelle Parker and Dean Hegarty as they provide an update on the progress towards achieving our three-year strategy to deliver on our mission. This is a great chance to connect with fellow members over light refreshments and reflect on the important work we’re doing together. You’re welcome to join us in-person or virtually. We would love to see you there as we come together to celebrate our shared successes and chart a course for the future. Event details: 📅 Wednesday 11 December 2024 🕠 5:30pm-7:30pm AEDT 📍 In-person: Morningstar Office, Sydney / Online: Zoom For more information and to register: https://lnkd.in/gAFzR828

The Responsible Investment Benchmark Report Aotearoa New Zealand 2024 has officially launched, revealing the continued momentum of responsible investment. Assets under management (AUM) of the research universe grew to $294 billion in 2023, up 13% from the previous year.     However, greenwashing remains a critical challenge as the industry continues to evolve. Concern about greenwashing has become the key deterrent to market growth, rising from 35% last year to 61% in 2023. At the same time, Kiwi’s lack of awareness of responsible investment dropped to 30% in 2023, from 43% the previous year. Transparency efforts, such as stewardship reporting, are gaining traction, with 51% of organisations now offering detailed disclosures, up from 40% in 2022.     “The growth of responsible investment in New Zealand is representative of the increasing awareness of ESG issues in investment decision making, and the increasing scrutiny over how returns are generated. This year’s RIAA benchmark marks another significant milestone, with concerns over greenwashing top of the list of priorities,” said Pip Best, EY’s Partner, Climate Change and Sustainability Services.     “Responsible investment has shifted from niche to necessity, it’s now a foundation of how the financial industry operates. But rising greenwashing concerns put the spotlight on integrity and accountability. It’s positive to see investment managers being much more careful when making claims and labelling products. But there are also industry standards that could be better supported by government and regulators to give everyone the clarity and confidence they deserve,” said Dean Hegarty, Co-CEO of RIAA.    Explore the full report for deeper insights into progress of New Zealand’s responsible investment market, its drivers and barriers: https://lnkd.in/d8UUzjk    This study is made possible through the generous support of our Industry Partner PIMCO and Research Partner EY.     We would also like to thank the investment managers that participated in the study through the survey - we are extremely grateful for your input.     #benchmarkreport #responsibleinvestment #sustainablefinance  

We are excited to announce that our Responsible Investment Benchmark Report Aotearoa New Zealand 2024 will be launched today! Our annual benchmark report is a useful resource for the responsible investment sector, measuring the size, growth, and performance of responsible, ethical, and impact investments each year. Join us at 10:30am NZDT today for the online launch as we unpack the key insights and trends that have shaped the responsible investment landscape in New Zealand, followed by a discussion with industry leaders and experts: https://lnkd.in/gkbiFNNa Unable to join the online launch? Ensure you register to receive the recording after the event. This study is made possible through the generous support of our Industry Partner PIMCO and Research Partner EY.   #benchmarkreport #responsibleinvestment #sustainablefinance 

We are excited to launch the Responsible Investment Benchmark Report Aotearoa New Zealand 2024 next week! Join us for our virtual launch event on Tuesday 3 December (10:30am-12:00pm NZDT) where we will highlight key insights and trends that have shaped the responsible investment landscape in New Zealand.     This will be followed by a discussion with industry leaders and experts including Erica K., Senior Vice President, ESG Strategist at PIMCO, Frances Sweetman, Head of Sustainability at Milford Asset Management, Dean Hegarty, Co-CEO of Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) and Nayanisha Samarakoon, Head of Policy & Advocacy at RIAA.     Our annual benchmark report is a useful resource for the responsible investment sector, measuring the size, growth, and performance of responsible, ethical, and impact investments each year. During the event, we will present new findings that shed light on:    👉 The size of responsible investing in New Zealand and key developments  👉 The performance of responsible investments compared to the broader market  👉 The evolution of responsible investment practice in New Zealand, in light of increased scrutiny over potential greenwashing, marked by a strengthening of stewardship practices, and a strong desire to demonstrate positive impact    Register now: https://lnkd.in/g8ummmAj    #benchmarkreport #responsibleinvestment #sustainablefinance