ASFI Newsletter - May
This National Reconciliation Week, we're reflecting on the connection between past, present and future.
Bridging Now to Next, the 2025 NRW theme, invites us to carry forward the lessons of the past, confront present challenges, and work collectively to build a better future.
At ASFI, we recognise that reconciliation is fundamental to building a sustainable, inclusive and resilient financial system. We are committed to working with partners, particularly First Nations organisations and people, to support self-determination, FPIC and reconciliation in Australia, including through the implementation of our Reconciliation Action Plan and First Nations work program.
We encourage you to join and promote the number of National Reconciliation Week events happening across the country this week. Learn more and get involved →
Read on for:
Mobilising Private Capital for Sustainability: Tools for Policymakers
Releasing ASFI’s 2025-26 Policy Platform
Recent report predicts global electricity consumption by data centres will more than double by 2030.
Register for our upcoming events
30 Jul: Australian Sustainable Finance Summit 2025
28 Aug: Mobilising Private Capital for Sustainability: Tools for Policymakers
Two months out: Australian Sustainable Finance Summit
Don’t miss your opportunity to hear directly from the people shaping the future of sustainable finance and connect with organisations driving change. Meet some of the influential voices joining us:
Andrea Clarke, Work Futurist, Author and Speaker
Darren Godwell, Chair of Indigenous Business Australia
John Hopkins, CEO of Export Finance Australia
Richie Merzian, CEO of Clean Energy Investor Group
Tom Mortlock, Head of Climate Analytics APAC at Aon
Katharine Tapley, Global Head of Sustainable Finance at ANZ
Learn more and register today →
Mobilising Private Capital for Sustainability: Tools for Policymakers
Private capital is essential for delivering public interest objectives – it can build essential infrastructure, create jobs, and spur innovation and growth. When it comes to sustainability, an estimated US$200 trillion is need in private finance and investment to 2050 to reach Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development goals. To support this, we’ve launched a new foundational course: Mobilising Private Capital for Sustainability: Tools for Policymakers. The course is designed to equip policy professionals with a practical understanding of the policy levers that can create the right conditions for sustainable finance and investment.
Releasing ASFI’s 2025-26 Policy Platform
ASFI has published our policy platform, outlining our priorities for the 48th Parliament consistent with our mission to realign the financial system for sustainability, resilience and inclusivity. Informed by the Australian Sustainable Finance Action Plan, it focuses on impactful, feasible reforms where ASFI can lead. It will guide our engagement with government and stakeholders over the next three years and reflects feedback from members. We’ve already begun engaging with officials on options for a COP31 private finance agenda, the Australian taxonomy, First Nations economic empowerment, and blended finance.
Sustainable Finance Capability Framework: Revised Pilot Version
Supporting capability uplift and leadership across the financial system is critical to addressing complex sustainability challenges like climate change, nature degradation, First Nations economic self-determination and financial inclusion. Last year, ASFI released a pilot Sustainable Finance Capability Framework to help guide finance individuals and organisations to develop the skills, knowledge, and mindsets to advance sustainable finance. We’re pleased to share an updated version of the pilot Framework, incorporating valuable feedback from stakeholders across the sector. We encourage organisations to use the Framework to assess current capabilities, support team and role design, and inform learning and development initiatives.
Maximising Australia’s green growth: Leveraging trade and aid policy to drive Australia’s green exports agenda
ASFI has launched our latest report, Maximising Australia’s green growth: leveraging trade and aid policy to drive Australia’s green exports agenda. The report, produced by ASFI and Kaya Partners, lays out how Australia is currently neglecting the demand side of its ‘renewable energy superpower’ ambition by not looking to develop export markets for future green commodities. We make the case for using trade policies to transition Australia’s existing trade relationships towards clean exports, and for harnessing climate finance to build new demand centres for our green products in emerging economies in Southeast Asia. Our launch webinar featured a heavyweight panel of experts across trade, international relations and industrial decarbonisation – catch up here.
Launching the Sustainable Finance Action Plan 2025-27
Earlier this month, we were pleased to unpack the Australian Sustainable Finance Action Plan 2025-2027, released earlier this year, and discuss the outcomes of the Federal election. Representatives from ASFI, Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC), Principles for Responsible Investment, Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) and Australian Council of Superannuation Investors discussed opportunities for cross-sector collaboration to advance sustainable finance, the implications of the recent Federal election, and other relevant market and policy developments.
What we're reading
The International Energy Agency's recent report, Energy and AI predicts global electricity consumption by data centres will more than double by 2030. While the share of data centres in aggregate emissions is small (currently 0.5% of total combustion emissions), they are among a few sectors expected to see an increase in direct and indirect emissions. Despite this surge, the IEA suggests that the climate impact of AI may be overstated, and widespread adoption of existing AI applications could in fact reduce emissions through efficiency gains, offsetting increases in data centres’ overall emissions profiles. For financial institutions, the report underscores the importance of investment in AI technologies that enhance energy efficiency and support sustainable infrastructure development.
Upcoming industry events and opportunities
RI Nature and Investors Survey
Nature has jumped up the agenda for investors in recent years as the scale of the biodiversity crisis has hit home.
What has this meant for your organisation? Five years on from Responsible Investor's inaugural biodiversity survey, RI are inviting asset owners and asset managers to take part in their 5-10 minute RI Nature and Investors Survey 2025.