Media releases

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) announces that Ross Piper is stepping down as Chair after seven years on the Board, including the past two years as Chair. Kate Turner, a current RIAA Board member, has been appointed as his successor.

Today, business and finance groups have come together to endorse Australia’s continued bipartisan commitment to the Paris Agreement goals and call for all levels of government to continue to support Australia’s transition to a clean, competitive, resilient and prosperous net zero economy.

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) and the Investors Against Slavery and Trafficking Asia Pacific (IAST APAC) have jointly released a supporting statement urging the New Zealand Government to introduce the Combatting Trafficking in Persons and Modern Forms of Slavery Bill (the Bill) and support its passage without delay.

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) today releases its annual Aotearoa New Zealand Benchmark Report, 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.

A Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) report shows responsible investment in Australia has reached a record $1.6 trillion, marking a significant shift in the investment landscape. However, greenwashing remains a critical concern, with over half (52%) of respondents identifying it as the top barrier to responsible investment, up from 45% in 2022. The report highlights how the industry continues to gain momentum, with the number of responsible investors increasing by 26% and the proportion of responsible investment assets under management (AUM) rising from 36% to 41% of the market in 2023. This growth reflects a powerful shift towards mainstreaming responsible investment across the market. Estelle Parker, Co-CEO of RIAA said, “This is a pivotal moment for the industry. Our data shows that 99% of respondents now integrate ESG principles into their framework, embedding responsible practices into the fabric of their operations. Concurrently, regulators are rightfully pushing for greater transparency, and the public wants proof that investment claims lead to real-world impact. Credibility in responsible investment depends on demonstrating measurable, impactful action, not just good intentions.”

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) is thrilled to announce 61 Responsible Investment Leaders and 29 Responsible Investors for 2024 in Australia, and 17 Responsible Investment Leaders and 7 Responsible Investors for 2024 in Aotearoa New Zealand, reflecting the ongoing momentum in responsible investing. “It’s incredibly encouraging to see such strong progress, even after raising the standard last year,” said Estelle Parker, Co-CEO of RIAA. The past year has seen heightened regulator action and increased scrutiny of the sector. “The fact that more investment managers have met these higher expectations shows that organisations are embracing the challenge and lifting their game. There’s not only more of them doing it – they’re also getting better at it.” The recognition is based on RIAA’s Responsible Investment Scorecard, which was refined last year to meet growing expectations of responsible investment leadership and covers the 2023 calendar year.

Ahead of a world-first Nature Positive Summit hosted by the Australian federal and New South Wales state governments next month, the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (RIAA) today launched a toolkit to help investors assess and act on nature-related risks and opportunities in their portfolios. The Nature Investor Toolkit was created by RIAA’s Nature Working Group, drawn from RIAA’s membership base of super funds, KiwiSaver providers, investment managers, impact investors and others. The aim of the toolkit is to educate investors on this complex and rapidly evolving area, help investors assess nature-related risks and opportunities, prepare investors to hold constructive conversations with investees about impacts and dependencies on nature, and build and communicate the business case for investing in nature positive solutions. Estelle Parker, Co-CEO at RIAA, said “Investors are embracing the twin challenges of net zero and nature positive, but are aware that the size and scope of the tasks at hand require focus, clarity and understanding how to apply frameworks such as the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), which can be leveraged to identify material risks and new and existing opportunities in their portfolios.” “This toolkit outlines practical steps and key resources to aid investors, as well as highlighting the importance of putting Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at the centre of the discussion.”

Australia’s largest peak bodies representing private land conservation and responsible financial investment have teamed up to send a message to the Federal Parliament: now is the time to do a deal on Australia’s nature laws that delivers investment certainty and outcomes for nature. Together, we welcome the report of the Senate Inquiry into the Government’s Nature Positive Bills and support the committee’s recommendation that the legislation be amended to allow for National Environmental Standards to be issued by the Government, and to ensure that the definition for ‘nature positive’ is consistent with international expectations. Australia’s largest peak bodies representing private land conservation and responsible financial investment have teamed up to send a message to the Federal Parliament: now is the time to do a deal on Australia’s nature laws that delivers investment certainty and outcomes for nature. Together, we welcome the report of the Senate Inquiry into the Government’s Nature Positive Bills and support the committee’s recommendation that the legislation be amended to allow for National Environmental Standards to be issued by the Government, and to ensure that the definition for ‘nature positive’ is consistent with international expectations. The Responsible Investment Association Australia (RIAA) and the Australian Land Conservation Alliance (ALCA) recognise the importance of robust environmental law reforms for protecting Australia’s biodiversity, and the need to provide investor and project proponents with more certainty and consistency.

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), representing 75% of managed funds in Australia, has warmly welcomed the passing of the legislation to enact mandatory reporting on climate by Australian businesses. RIAA has long campaigned for a mandatory climate-related disclosure regime in Australia. Clear and comparable disclosure of climate-related financial information will help investors identify and understand the large-scale financial risks from the impacts of climate change and transition to net zero emissions. It will also encourage action to mitigate these risks. By incentivising high quality, useful and internationally aligned climate-related disclosures, this Act will help maintain Australia’s place in the global economy.

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) and Mindful Money are pleased to launch the 2024 consumer report, Voices of Aotearoa: Demand for Ethical Investment in New Zealand. The study reveals that more Kiwis support responsible investing than ever before, showing a strong preference for aligning investments with personal values and long-term sustainability. Key findings include: • 77% of New Zealanders expect their investments to be managed ethically. 57% would consider switching to a different provider if their investments were in activities not consistent with their values. • More respondents expect ethical and responsible investments to perform better in the long term, increasing to 46%. • There is growing support for investing for positive impact. 54% would invest in a fund that aims to create positive impact if the returns are comparable to investment benchmarks while 20% would accept a lower return. • Positive views about responsible investment are more strongly held by Gen Z and Millennials, those with higher levels of education and those with higher levels of investment. • Over half of New Zealanders have concerns about greenwashing. 59% are more likely to choose ethical and responsible funds that have independent certification.