ASFI’s 2024-25 Budget Wrap unpacks the announcements to give you the highlights (roses), lowlights (thorns), and rosebuds (opportunities) for accelerating sustainable finance and investment in Australia and the region.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) welcomes the opportunity to provide input and feedback to the Parliament of South Australia Natural Resources Committee’s Inquiry on Environmental, Social & Governance.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) welcomes the opportunity to provide input and feedback on the Australian Government’s plan to progress Nature Positive law reforms.

We commend ASX's efforts to revise its Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations to align with evolving corporate responsibility and transparency standards. In response to the proposed reforms, we want to emphasise the importance of elevating First Nations perspectives within the governance framework and disclosure practices outlined in the consultation paper.

On 23 April, our CEO, Kristy Graham appeared before a Senate Committee Inquiry on the Government’s proposed legislation to establish mandatory climate-related reporting for corporates. Kristy reiterated ASFI’s strong support for the legislation, which we see as being a key pillar of the sustainable finance architecture required to provide markets with clear and comparable information on climate-related risks and opportunities.

ASFI welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback in relation to the Australian Government’s consultation paper on design options for the Your Future Your Super (YFYS) Annual Superannuation Performance Test.

15 of Australia’s most influential organisations representing business, finance and both retail and institutional investors and shareholders have come together to support the passage of Schedule 4 of the Federal Government’s Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (Climate reporting Bill).

ASFI welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to the Indigenous Procurement Policy consultation review.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Australian Accounting Standards Board’s exposure draft climate disclosure standards.

Find ASFI’s submission to the Australian Government’s First Nations Clean Energy Strategy consultation paper.

The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Exposure Draft of the Climate-related financial disclosure legislation.

Find ASFI’s submission on the Agriculture and Land Sectoral Plan.

ASFI in collaboration with the Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC) have prepared this resource setting out the relationship between decarbonisation scenarios, pathways, plans, and the taxonomy.

Read ASFI’s submission to the Government’s Sustainable Finance Strategy Consultation.

On 2 November 2023, the Australian Treasury released its much-anticipated Sustainable Finance Strategy Consultation Paper. This follows the commitment by the Australian Treasurer in December 2022 to develop an ‘ambitious and coordinated’ sustainable finance strategy in 2023.

Last week the Government released its Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040. The strategy identifies opportunities to strengthen Australia’s ties with countries in our region to advance mutual prosperity and security. It sets out 75 recommendations, many of which aim to enable greater levels of Australian investment into the region.

Read ASFI’s response to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Development Finance Review.

In July 2023, the Australian Treasury invited feedback on its second consultation paper on Climate-related Disclosures. ASFI supports the introduction of mandatory climate disclosures for the Australian market. A robust and workable climate disclosures framework will help financial institutions make better decisions, firms understand and manage climate risk and opportunity, and regulators combat greenwashing.

Find ASFI’s submission to the Climate Change Authority’s consultation on “Setting, tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets”.

Read ASFI’s submission to the Nature Repair Market (Consequential Amendments) Bill 2023.