Corporate Governance Websites

Useful links and resources for corporate governance in Australia and abroad.

Australian:

Australian Institute of Company Directors:
AICD is Australia's pre-eminent member organisation for directors, dedicated to making a difference in the quality of governance and directorship.  Link

Australian Securities Exchange: Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations (2007) 2nd ed.
A guide for listed companies to cover corporate governance compliance issues. Link

Australian Stock Exchange (2003):Principles of Good Corporate Governance and Best Practice Recommendations.
An ASX paper on Corporate Governance in Australia.Link

IFSA (2002) Investment and Financial Services Association Limited
Corporate Governance: A Guide for Fund Managers and Corporations.Link

Centre for Corporate Law and Securities Regulation
The Centre was established by The University of Melbourne in January 1996 in recognition of the growing importance of corporate law and securities regulation nationally and internationally and also in recognition of the strength of The University of Melbourne in these areas. Link

Chartered Secretaries Australia (CSA)
CSA is the peak professional body delivering accredited education and the most practical and authoritative training and information on governance, as well as thought leadership in the field.  The website provides the leading range of technical information and support in best practice governance and corporate administration. See especially the Good Governance Guides in the Reference Centre link

CPA Australia
CPA Australia is one of the world's largest accounting bodies with a membership of finance, accounting and business professionals across the globe.  Information and services relating to corporate governance. link 

Not-for-Profit Network
Not-For-Profit Network helps the people working in non profit organisations in Australia and New Zealand to be more successful and their organisations to be more sustainable. link

International:

International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN)
The ICGN is a global membership organisation of around 450 leaders in corporate governance based in 45 countries with a mission to raise standards of corporate governance worldwide. Links to conference papers, submissions and corporate governance principles. link

World Council for Corporate Governance
The World Council for Corporate Governance was established as an independent, not for profit international network aimed to galvanise good governance practices worldwide. link

International Chamber of Commerce
The world business organisation - corporate goverance basic guide for business practitioners everywhere. link

Global Director Development Circle (GDDC)
Made up of the leading professional membership organisations for directors from across six continents, the Global Director Development Circle aims to share expertise in corporate governance and professional director development. It fosters closer co-operation between members, sharing knowledge and good practice at national, regional and global levels. link

Commonwealth Association for Corporate Governance (CACG)
The CACG aims to facilitate the development of institutional capacity that promotes good corporate governance by education, consultation and information in all Commonwealth countries. link

The Conference Board
The Conference Board has, for over 90 years, equipped the world's leading corporations with practical knowledge through issues-oriented research and senior executive peer-to-peer meetings. link

 

Shareholder Information

Australian:

Australian Shareholders Association
An organisation established to represent the interest of investors. The site lists position papers that reflect the shareholders views on corporate governance issues. link

Sustainable Development

International:

World Business Council for Sustainable Development
The Council provides a platform for companies to explore sustainable development, share knowledge, experiences and best practices, and to advocate business positions on these issues in a variety of forums, working with governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organisations. link

Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes
Launched in 1999, the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes are the first global indexes tracking the financial performance of the leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide. Based on the cooperation of Dow Jones Indexes, STOXX Limited and SAM they provide asset managers with reliable and objective benchmarks to manage sustainability portfolios. link

Carbon Trading

International:

European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS)
The European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS) is the largest multi-national, emissions trading scheme in the world, and is a major pillar of EU climate policy. The ETS currently covers more than 10,000 installations in the energy and industrial sectors which are collectively responsible for close to half of the EU's emissions of CO2 and 40% of its total greenhouse gas emissions. link

International Emissions Trading Association (IETA)
IETA is a non-profit business organisation created to establish a functional international framework for trading greenhouse gas emission reductions. Membership includes 175 international companies from OECD and non-OECD countries. link

Climate Change

International:

The Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR)
The Investor Network on Climate Risk is a network  of  institutional  investors  and  financial  institutions  that promotes better understanding of the financial  risks and investment opportunities posed by climate  change. Much of INCR's focus is aimed at improving  corporate  disclosure  and  governance  practices  on  climate  change.  The four-year-old  network,  coordinated by Ceres, includes more than 60 investor  members  with  collective  assets totalling  more than US$4 trillion. link

United Nations Global Compact
The Global Compact is the world's largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative offering a framework for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles. Its "Caring for Climate" platform provides a framework for business leaders to advance practical solutions and help shape public policy as well as public attitudes on the issue of climate change. link

Sustainable Asset Management  (SAM)
SAM  was founded in 1995 as the world's first asset management company for sustainability investments. Today, the company ranks among the globally leading managers of sustainability investments and theme based funds such as water, climate, clean energy, new materials and healthy living. link

Ceres
Ceres is a US-based network of investors, environmental organisations and other public interest groups working with companies and investors to address environmental and social challenges such as global climate change.  Its mission is to integrate sustainability into company practices and the capital markets to protect the health of the planet and its people. Ceres directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk, a network of more than 60 institutional investors managing more than $4 trillion in assets focused on the business impacts from climate change. link

Regulatory Bodies

Australian:

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
ASIC is Australia's corporate, markets and financial services regulator. link

Legal

Australian:

Australasian Legal Information Institute (Austlii)-
AustLII is a popular online free-access resource for Australian legal information, serving the needs of a multitude of users - information on Commonwealth, state and territory legislation, cases, law journals. link

ComLaw (Commonwealth Law)
Incorporating the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments (FRLI), ComLaw is the legal information retrieval system owned by the Australian Attorney-General's Department. link

Corporate Law Judgments
Maintained by the Centre for Corporate Law and Securities Regulation (CCLSR) and the Faculty of Law at The University of Melbourne. link

Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC)
The ALRC is a permanent, independent federal statutory corporation. The ALRC conducts inquiries - known as references - into areas of law reform at the request of the Attorney-General of Australia. link

Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee (CAMAC)
The Corporations and Markets Advisory Committee previously known as the company's and securities advisory committee. link

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services
Information and research from the Parliamentary Library, publications, information - both current and historical, fact sheets, seminars. link

Law Council of Australia
The Law Council of Australia is the peak national representative body of the Australian legal profession, and represents about 56,000 legal practitioners nationwide. link

FindLaw Australia
FindLaw Australia is a free legal web site that offers users access to plain english legal articles, case law, legislation and a comprehensive directory of solicitors. link

International:

Asian-Pacific Corporate Law and Securities Regulation sites
Maintained by the Centre for Corporate Law and Securities Regulation (CCLSR). The purpose of the Centre is to undertake and promote research on corporate law and securities regulation and to provide a focal point for those working in these areas.  link

World Legal Information Institute (WorldLII)
WorldLII is a free, independent and non-profit global legal research facility making legal information available to the world. link

Financial Reporting

Australian:

Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB)
The  AUASB is an independent, statutory agency of the Australian Government, responsible for developing, issuing and maintaining auditing and assurance standards. link

Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB)
The AASB is an Australian Government agency under the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001. link

Financial Reporting Council (FRC)
The FRC is responsible for providing broad oversight of the process for setting accounting and auditing standards as well as monitoring the effectiveness of auditor independence requirements in Australia.link

Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia is the professional body representing Chartered Accountants in Australia. link

CPA Australia
CPA Australia is one of the world's largest accounting bodies with a membership of finance, accounting and business professionals across the globe. link

International:

International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)
IASB's mission is to develop, in the public interest, a single set of high quality, understandable and international financial reporting standards (IFRSs) for general purpose financial statements. link

Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
FASB's mission  is to establish and improve standards of financial accounting and reporting for the guidance and education of the public, including issuers, auditors, and users of financial information  link

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
GRI's vision is that disclosure on economic, environmental, and social performance is as commonplace and comparable as financial reporting, and important to organizational success
link

Environment

Australian:

Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
The Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts develops and implements national policy, programs and legislation to protect and conserve Australia's environment and heritage and to promote Australian arts and culture.  link

Department of Climate Change
The Department of Climate Change was established on 3 December 2007 as part of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Portfolio. link

Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator
The Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator is a statutory authority established to oversee the implementation of the Australian Government's mandatory renewable energy target. link

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