Index provider FTSE yesterday launched an Australian environmental, social and governance-style (ESG) index – the FTSE4Good Australia 30 index.
The index is to initially consist of the 30 Australian stocks contained in the global FTSE4Good index. The top five are: BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Westpac, NAB and Westfield. Companies are assessed by the Ethical Investment Research Service. They need to demonstrate good environmental management practices, climate change mitigation, countering bribery, upholding human and labour rights and sound supply chain standards. According to ‘Ethical Investor’ newsletter published yesterday, FTSE is also looking to launch a series of environmental indices in Australia in the next month.
Submissions to ASIC’s discussion paper on public and private markets highlight a glaring contradiction: super funds, created and nurtured by regulation that has propelled them to more than $3 trillion in assets under management, oppose new regulations that would enhance safeguards around how those assets are managed.
Brendan SwiftJuly 4, 2025
