News & Views

The latest round of 113 new senior promotions at Minter Ellison includes 60% female promotions. Promotions were driven by client demand for expertise in ESG, workplace leadership and culture, digital transformation, energy transition, risk and regulation, private capital.

"Having more women in partnership and leadership positions is a crucial diversity and inclusion priority. I am pleased how transparent, accountable and focused we are to achieve this target. Our offices, business units and practice groups are accountable to this gender and equality target and we are working towards the 40:40:20 partnership target of any gender by 2025," Virginia Briggs, CEO and Managing Partner said. READ MORE 

Clayton Utz will now offer our people access to 26 weeks' paid parental leave, with effect from 1 July this year. The updated policy also removes the distinction between primary and secondary carers, and offer parents greater flexibility as to when they access the paid leave, which can be taken over two years. READ MORE 

CitySwitch is partnering with the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) to provide a 50% discount on the NABERS lodgement fee for tenancy and whole building ratings.. NABERS is recognised as a key pillar of the property industry’s transition to net zero emissions. Recap on the benefits and hear important updates from NABERS HERE and download a discount application HERE 

We know that the price of direct air capture (DAC) is currently prohibitively high but it is equally well understood that both engineered and nature-based carbon removals are likely to be critical to capping global temperature rises at 1.5 degrees Celsius. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned last year that greenhouse gas emissions have risen so quickly that large-scale carbon removal is "unavoidable" if the world is to stave off the worst impacts of climate change. READ MORE

Research from Sustainable Brands and Ipsos reveals high levels of environmental concern but a global misperception on the most impactful sustainable behaviors — with a belief that recycling will yield bigger benefits than eating plant-based diets, increasing energy efficiency, and 58 more impactful choices.

But people want to live sustainably, they understand their power as consumers to influence brands to take responsibility as well. In the US, 69 percent of respondents agreed that they believe they can influence companies to do better by buying from them when they do. Globally, 69 percent say they try to purchase products from brands that act responsibly, even if it means spending more. READ MORE 

Aviation is widely considered a hard-to-abate sector and is one of the fastest-growing in the world in terms of emissions. The world’s major airlines, airports and suppliers have backed a new report outlining how the aviation sector can increase usage of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), improve engine efficiency and invest in novel low-carbon technologies to help reach net-zero by 2050. READ MORE

As part of its overall commitment of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 across its value chain, with an intermediate target of a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030, IAG, Australia and New Zealand’s largest general insurer, has joined the United Nations convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA). IAG has been a carbon neutral business in relation to its Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2012, and it has intermediate targets to align its investment portfolio to net-zero emissions by 2050. READ MORE

Some popular Australian paper brands are sourced from native forests. Do you know where your paper comes from? To reach net zero, a deforestation-free supply chain is a "scientific necessity", according to a new analysis commissioned by the UN-backed Race to Zero. Deforestation from the forest, land and agricultural industries contributes around 11% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Getting companies in these sectors to curb emissions is deemed crucial to limiting global warming. READ MORE

In an interview with Lawyers Weekly head of responsible business and ESG at Corrs, Phoebe Wynn-Pope, discusses the potential for changes to meet sustainability commitments such as climate change could have adverse collateral impacts in other areas such as human rights or ecosystem loss. Read More HERE

AusLSA member firm King and Wood Mallesons recently released their "Directions 2022" Report in which they said that the rise of Environmental, Social and Governmental issues are now part of 'Business as Usual'.

Their research in relation to ESG priorities demonstrates that "people" issues relating to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce are most important to business leaders, closely followed by building organisational sustainability and managing public commitments to greenhouse gas emissions. Read the report HERE