RIAA 2011 Benchmark Report

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) has released the 2011 Benchmark Report which highlights the growth of responsible investment in Australia and New Zealand.

The objective of this research is to gather data on the various forms of responsible investment and to present analysis of growth in the sector in comparison with the total investment market.

Highlights from the report

• Responsible investment funds have outperformed their benchmarks in every one of the 12 categories covered in this report – over one, three, five and seven years and across Australian shares, international shares and balanced funds, as shown in the table below.

• There were four environmental shareholder resolutions raised during the year, in contrast to just one in the previous decade.

• Australian property funds have topped the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark for a second time running. The report states, “Australian property companies are the clear environmental leaders of the globe.”

• 22% of all investment strategies in Australia rated by Mercer have achieved “above average” competency in responsible investment practices.

• Highlights from the clean technology sector include the launch in 2013 of the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere.
  Community finance assets increased 19% in the last year.

• Company research, voting, resolutions, engagement, collaboration and integrated analysis are all on the increase covering areas such as governance, human capital management, climate change and water scarcity.

Source: Responsible Investment Association of Australasia (2011). A Benchmark Report on responsible investment in Australia and New Zealand by the Resonsible Investment Assiciation Australasia', page 16.