The head of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has urged businesses not to put off compliance with mandatory climate disclosures until after legislation has passed, saying while it was too early for the regulator to set out an enforcement plan, it wasn’t too early to be prepared.
The Environmental Defenders Office has lodged a complaint with ASIC on behalf of a member of UniSuper, accusing the Australian superannuation fund of greenwashing its products by mislabelling them as āsustainableā.Ā
Clorox has been taken to court for alleged greenwashing, with the ACCC claiming the consumer goods giant misled customers into believing that a line of its GLAD trash bags were sourced from plastic recycled from the ocean.
A court has given the green light to BHPās bid to extend a Queensland coal mine over the objections of an environmental lobby group, saying the courtās acceptance of climate change did not mean it would reject all applications for fossil fuel projects.
Businesses that violate environment law could soon face fines of up to $780 million, under a plan that promises tougher enforcement through the creation of an Environment Protection Agency, alongside speedier environment approvals for projects.
Investment and advisory firm Pollination Group has poached a leading climate lawyer who led MinterEllison’s global climate practice group to bolster its offering of cutting edge advice on the transition to net zero.
Santos wants four activist organisations to hand up any communications with the Environmental Defenders Office over its unsuccessful challenge to the construction of a pipeline for the energy company’s $5.6 billion Barossa gas project, as it seeks to recover third-party costs against the legal centre for its conduct in running the proceedings.
Johnson Winter Slattery has snagged a special counsel from Corrs Chambers Westgarth to meet heightened demand for advice on climate change, sustainability and ESG issues.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has won its first civil penalty proceeding in a greenwashing case, with a court finding against Vanguard Investments over its $1 billion āethically consciousā hedge fund.
The Environmental Defenders Office has appointed a team of external lawyers, including Gilbert + Tobin and a senior barrister, to review its processes after a judge found aspects of its case over Santos’ Barossa pipeline were made up and “lacking in integrity”.