Rory Martin

Nature-related financial disclosures are demystified in a new publication from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and Governance Institute of Australia. Titled ‘Nature-related Financial Disclosures: Frequently Asked Questions,’ the guide helps businesses navigate the complexities of nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks and opportunities. With over half of the world's GDP reliant on nature and its services, understanding these connections is vital for business leaders. In the format of frequently asked questions, we cover essential topics like biodiversity, greenwashing and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Equip yourself with the knowledge to enhance governance practices, understand nature-related disclosures and drive sustainable growth and risk management. Download the publication now from Governance Institute’s website: https://bit.ly/45LjQ8G

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🌍 With COP29 underscoring the urgency of climate action, INREV’s paper, 'Implementing a Net Zero Carbon Strategy for Real Estate', provides practical steps for achieving NZC targets across real estate portfolios. This resource helps investors and managers navigate the regulatory landscape, with strategies covering carbon measurement, reduction, and stakeholder engagement. Collaborative efforts are essential for a low-carbon future, and this paper offers strategies to make it a reality. Let’s lead the way in sustainable transformation. 🔗 Read the full paper: https://hubs.li/Q02Y41y_0 #COP29 #NetZero #SustainableRealEstate #ClimateAction #INREV

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The Sustainable Portfolios Index (SPI) for 2024 has been released, revealing the top performing office and shopping centre portfolios in Australia. This year, the Index also includes Victorian public hospitals for the first time.   Now in its sixth year, the SPI offers the only publicly available, whole-of-portfolio view of actual performance of energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste management, indoor environment quality and carbon neutrality.   Read this year’s key highlights and see all the results: https://lnkd.in/gRCjxj7C #NABERSSPI #SPI2024

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The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute's taxonomy methodology report cites Climateworks Centre’s scenarios as ‘the most detailed and up-to-date scenarios applicable to the Australian context’. Read more in our impact report: https://lnkd.in/gmCZwQve

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The responsibility of ESG & Sustainability in business is far-reaching - it goes all the way to the #board level. This is why we're sharing this new resource released by the Australian Institute of Company Directors. The Guide set out 10 key principles to help set and manage climate targets effectively. Here is a sneak peek of the guiding principles (sure enough, #data is #1!): 📍Target Development phase: 1. Collect reliable baseline data 2. Develop a target that meets agreed ambition and is aligned to the organisation’s broader strategy 3. Undertake verification and assurance 4. Establish a record-keeping system 📍Target Implementation phase: 5. Clarify executive accountability 6. Identify and allocate required resourcing 7. Develop an implementation plan 📍Target Communication phase 8. Communicate targets clearly and consistently 9. Disclose underpinning assumptions, contingencies, uncertainties and risks 📍 Target Review phase 10. Establish a monitoring system With mandatory climate reporting approaching in 2025, this guide is essential for ensuring robust, transparent climate targets that withstand market scrutiny. Is your board and organisation ready? If you would like some support and are going to tomorrow's AICD Climate Governance Forum, talk with Toustone's Matt Davison. Or check out our Sustainability Suite https://lnkd.in/gck6te4y. Data is the foundation of everything. You can also read the article in full here: https://lnkd.in/gcCU7R5X? #ClimateGovernance #Sustainability #BoardLeadership

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Proposition: As a society, Australia should not tolerate a persistent and significant shortfall in housing supply. High-level proposal: Federal, state, and local councils should revisit their housing policies to ensure that 1) they enable as much supply as possible and 2) they protect vulnerable people from the harmful effects of a shortage. In terms of #2, perhaps the most effective short run response is to boost Commonwealth Rent Assistance and other income support measures (along the lines of proposals from Grattan Institute), such that we buy time for supply-side policies to work in the medium to long run.

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With mandatory #climatereporting on the horizon, Australian organisations must be ready to disclose key details of their climate targets. To help Australian boards establish these targets and manage associated risks we worked with the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Insurance Council of Australia to develop a set of 10 guiding principles including illustrative examples and suggested questions for directors to ask at each phase of the target-setting process. Click here to access the Guide: https://lnkd.in/gG78TeV2 Timothy Stutt Carolyn Pugsley Anna Coroneo Suzannah Hewson #ausbiz #auslaw #ESG

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When I scanned through the recent publication of ASIC’s REP791 report, released on 23 August 2024, which underscores the critical role that understanding and applying Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards (ASRS) plays in fostering transparency and accountability within our business communities. The REP791 report provides invaluable insights into the regulator's interventions, its surveillance activities and findings, and highlights areas where improvements are necessary. As we strive towards a more sustainable future, it is imperative for businesses, company directors and advisers (incl auditors) to improve the sustainability-related disclosures and the data that underpins them. #Sustainability #SustainabilityReporting #ASIC #REP791 #ASRS #ESG #CorporateResponsibility #Transparency #SustainableGrowth https://lnkd.in/geA7eG-a

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📰👀 Read NIWA climate scientist Nava Fedaeff's article in Build magazine about the recent release of updated high-resolution climate projections for Aotearoa New Zealand, and what they might mean for the building sector. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eyws5Nvk

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We are excited to announce the release of the Nature Investor Toolkit from the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA). Created by RIAA’s Nature Working Group ISS ESG’s contributions are led by Julia Leske, Managing Director and Senior ESG Strategy Consultant. The toolkit aims 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. The investor toolkit seeks to enhance the investment community's understanding of financial, environmental, and human rights considerations by outlining the issues, providing case studies, and suggesting methodologies for analyzing portfolio exposures and strategies for investor engagement. Access the toolkit at: https://lnkd.in/gwa2yR-m #Australasia #Sustainability #Nature 

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Dr. Casimir MacGregor, Sam Bridgman and Pāmu Farms of New Zealand shared insights on Climate change readiness in the construction sector at the recent Sustainable Business Council NZ Spotlight Series. Casimir emphasised that building a strong climate culture means deeply understanding climate change and integrating it into values, behaviour's, and actions. For those starting their journey towards a climate-conscious culture, here are five key steps to get you going: 1. Boost your climate change knowledge 2. Measure your business's carbon footprint 3. Manage climate risks effectively 4. Understand how climate risks impact your business 5. Be a champion for climate change Check out the full research report here: https://lnkd.in/gPQW-CuF 👏 Kudos to research team - Sara Walton, Andrea Foley, and Casimir MacGregor for their valuable contributions! Also, thank you to all our participants for sharing their experiences in sustainable business practices. #sustainableleadership #UniversityUniversity of Otago #collaboration

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Congratulations to Australian Sustainable Finance Institute on the launch of the first round of public consultation on the development of an Australian sustainable finance taxonomy. Being involved in the Construction & Built Environment Advisory Group, I can only begin to describe the level of collaboration, consultation, and hard work that's gone into designing and developing an Australian sustainable finance taxonomy that is credible, usable and internationally interoperable, while reflecting the Australian economy and context. Now it's over to you, and in particular, the built environment & construction industry, to have your say. ASFI is seeking feedback on: - the draft headline ambitions for the Australian taxonomy’s environmental objectives, and - the draft climate change mitigation criteria for the first three priority sectors under development (electricity generation and supply, minerals, mining and metals, and construction and the built environment). This public consultation process will run from 9:00am Tuesday 28 May 2024 until 9:00pm Sunday 30 June 2024 (AEST). The development of an Australian taxonomy cannot be done well without First Nations people, ASFI particularly encourages First Nations people to provide feedback.

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Accurately measuring supply in the greenfields is crucial to forecasting the timing of population growth.

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Working on this white paper and related #COP29 presentation content with the teams at International Code Council, Standards Australia and PyxGlobal has been a significant highlight of the last few weeks for me. I get a real buzz from working with people to understand and think of ways to explain how technology can impact organisations, economies and societies, especially when the technology can have this much of a positive impact. The Universal Data Protocol (UDP) for the Built Environment has the potential to enable significant, positive, global good. Built on the premise that interoperable data solutions are about protocols not platforms, UDP enables participants to add significant value to their existing technology investments, to their supply chain partners, regulators, and to everyone who cares about verifiable ESG claims and SDG goals. On 14 November, UDP became a registered extension to the United Nations Transparency Protocol (#UNTP), on which Sezoo are pleased to be collaborators on. As such the UDP leverages some of our favourite technologies: W3C VCs and DIDs, and it also involves economic and governance considerations, of course! Very pleased that the team at PyxGlobal invited us to work with them on the project. Thanks Zachary Zeus and the team at Pyx. We are now working with Pyx, SA and ICC on a PoC for UDP - which is both very exciting and more than enough acronyms in one sentence. Links to the UNTP site and other referenced content in the comments below. #digitaltrust Sezoo

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The dynamics of #population growth in #greenfield areas warrant a more detailed understanding if we are to best plan for the #communities that will ultimately live there. Contrary to the policy of containment regulating #urban development across many of Australia’s #cities and #regions, greenfield areas will continue to absorb significant population growth over the coming years. Planning for this in a pragmatic manner, using robust data sources, understanding local market factors, as well as other #demand drivers, is imperative. For #forecasts to be accurate, recognising the variables involved in constructing and completing new dwellings in greenfield areas is crucial. Without understanding the lag between off-the-plan lot sales, construction and titling, and new dwelling completion, the margin for error in any forecast is considerable. Leveraging our deep market knowledge, comprehensive datasets, and keen insights into property development, Quantify’s greenfield population forecasts are founded on a unique methodology that generates detailed and timely population projections, making it a vital tool for planning purposes. Our forecasting capability is versatile and suitable for analysing a wide range of geographies, from entire growth corridors to specific local area precincts. This approach reflects the dynamic variables of urban development, significantly reducing the risk of errors from broad assumptions. We continuously refresh our data inputs, considering factors such as seasonality, market cycles, and the scale of residential projects, each of which heavily influences the rate of residential development and ultimately, population growth. To highlight the value of our approach, the below chart provides a comparison of Quantify’s dwelling completion forecast in a greenfield catchment with an existing metropolitan LGA forecast and Victoria in Future (VIF) 2023. As shown, Quantify's rate of growth over the forecast period is not consistent but varies based on the many factors impacting the rate and timing of the delivery of new dwellings. Understanding short to medium-term population forecasting offers significant benefits across various sectors from both a resource allocation and operational planning perspective. While 30-year ‘aspirational’ targets may provide important long-term context, understanding how property market demand translates to population growth over a three-to-seven-year horizon is invaluable for practical and informed policy development. Able to be prepared for a range of geographies across Australia, our forecasts are also of significant value to those expanding into new markets, planning social and community services, needing to anticipate changes in consumer demand and other strategic business decisions. If you would like to learn more about how Quantify can assist you, please contact Rob Burgess at [email protected] or Angie Zigomanis at [email protected]

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The Canterbury Climate Partnership Plan has been released which is a joint effort by all 11 councils in Waitaha Canterbury. The plan sets out a vision for a thriving, climate resilient, low-emissions Canterbury. The plan has six outcomes for the desired future for Canterbury: 🏔 A healthy environment 🏔 An equitable and inclusive transition 🏔 Prosperity 🏔 Adapted and resilient communities 🏔 Emissions reductions 🏔 Climate action leadership It has ten primary actions (which have specific sub actions): ✔ Understanding climate risks and improving resilience ✔ Emissions reduction ✔ Adaptation planning ✔ Nature-based solutions ✔ Climate change education and advocacy to support communities ✔ Supporting Papatipu Rūnanga ✔ Integrating climate change considerations into council processes ✔ Climate funding and financing ✔ Monitoring and evaluation ✔ Implementation It's great to see this plan published and to have all 11 councils involved in its design and creation would have required a lot of mahi so a big thanks to everyone who worked on this plan. Given that Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury declared climate emergencies five years ago in 2019, the focus now must turn to implementing the actions with the urgency required to address the challenges and opportunities from a changing climate. link to full plan in the comments.

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Sydney Water will release an Expression of Interest (EOI) in early 2025 seeking proposals to develop and lease 12 hectares of land in Kemps Creek known as the Circular Economy Zone (CEZ). The CEZ will enable Sydney Water’s vision of an eco-industrial park that activates the circular economy in the Aerotropolis growth area and play a vital role in ensuring it becomes a resilient and sustainable city where people want to live, work and visit. The site sits adjacent to the Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC), next to the M12 motorway, and five kilometres from the Western Sydney International Airport. This is a flagship site presenting a unique range of opportunities to drive systemic change in waste management, potentially harness wastewater recycling and water management synergies with the AWRC, undertake renewable energy production, and produce a host of potential circular economic products and services. The opportunity is ideal for either individual proponents, joint ventures or partnerships involving waste specialists, property funds, developers, and financiers seeking long-term investment and sustainability projects. Sydney Water’s key objective for the CEZ is to activate the circular economy by unlocking the value of the site through suitably aligned industries who will bring best practice, innovative thinking and a collaborative approach to deliver this project. The EOI will be released early 2025 via buy.nsw. For more information, contact us at [email protected]. #CircularEconomy #MajorProjects #Sydney #SydneyWater #Aerotropolis #WesternSydney #CleanEnergyRevolution #GreenBusiness #EcoInnovation #SustainableSolutions #EcoSolutions #ReduceReuseRecycle #Sustainability #WasteManagement #Innovation #biomethane #energytransition #renewables #protectedcropping #Sustainableaviationfuel #RenewableEnergy

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Sydney Water will release an Expression of Interest (EOI) in early 2025 seeking proposals to develop and lease 12 hectares of land in Kemps Creek known as the Circular Economy Zone (CEZ). The CEZ will enable Sydney Water’s vision of an eco-industrial park that activates the circular economy in the Aerotropolis growth area and play a vital role in ensuring it becomes a resilient and sustainable city where people want to live, work and visit. The site sits adjacent to the Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC), next to the M12 motorway, and five kilometres from the Western Sydney International Airport. This is a flagship site presenting a unique range of opportunities to drive systemic change in waste management, potentially harness wastewater recycling and water management synergies with the AWRC, undertake renewable energy production, and produce a host of potential circular economic products and services. The opportunity is ideal for either individual proponents, joint ventures or partnerships involving waste specialists, property funds, developers, and financiers seeking long-term investment and sustainability projects. Sydney Water’s key objective for the CEZ is to activate the circular economy by unlocking the value of the site through suitably aligned industries who will bring best practice, innovative thinking and a collaborative approach to deliver this project. The EOI will be released early 2025 via buy.nsw. For more information, contact [email protected]. #CircularEconomy #MajorProjects #Sydney #SydneyWater #Aerotropolis #WesternSydney #CleanEnergyRevolution #GreenBusiness #EcoInnovation #SustainableSolutions #EcoSolutions #ReduceReuseRecycle #Sustainability #WasteManagement #Innovation #Biomethane #EnergyTransition #Renewables #ProtectedCropping #SustainableAviationFuel #RenewableEnergy

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