• Better board papers: The Governance Institute has released new guidance on the preparation of effective board papers
• DIN/modernising business registers implementation update: Commissioner of Taxation to be the registrar of the Australian Business Registry Services
  
  

• Australia slips from 15th to 50th in global gender equality index
• What happens when women are added to the C-suite? A recent paper provides insights into the impact of increased gender diversity on strategic thinking
• Arjuna Capital has released a report ranking 51 large US companies on pay equity
• In Brief | JP Morgan Wealth Management has announced plans to hire 300 additional Black and Latinx advisors by the end of 2025 as part of its broader $30 billion commitment to advance racial equality

• New report finds that shareholder activism globally is still at record lows
• In Brief | A shareholder proposal calling on Chevron to provide an audited report on how a net-zero greenhouse gas by 2050 scenario will affect the company's operations and performance will be put to shareholders at the upcoming meeting after SEC declined Chevron's request to exclude it

• Norway's sovereign wealth fund has made its first investment in renewable energy and signalled its intention to gradually build up its renewable energy portfolio focusing primarily on wind and solar projects
• Supply chain due diligence: Investor Alliance for Human Rights steps up engagement with companies with ties to the Uyghur Region
• Majority Action calls on investors to vote against the directors of 'systemically important' companies to register their concern about climate inaction
• Global report finds climate risk is becoming an increasingly central factor in institutional investors' overall approach

• Ahead of upcoming 'Say on Climate' votes, the ACCR has released suggested voting guidance to assist shareholders in determining whether to approve climate transition plans
• Australian Shareholder Association focus areas for 2021: executive remuneration and board capability among the top priorities

• COVID-19 response: Scentre Group shareholders pass judgment on executive remuneration

• ASX has finalised amendments to ASX Listing Rules relating to online forms, notification of security issues and corporate action timetables

• Consumer credit: National Consumer Credit Protection Amendment (Small Business Exemption) Regulations 2021 registered
• Hayne implementation: ASIC has released guidance on how to comply with new requirements related to the provision of insurance complaints/settling services
  FASEA chair reappointed
• Offshore reinsurers: APRA is consulting on proposed changes to LPS 117 Capital Adequacy: Asset Concentration risk charge
• RG 271: ASIC calls on funds to start preparing now for the commencement of new IDR requirement
• The ABA has released updated industry guidelines for preventing and responding to financial abuse and preventing and responding to domestic an family violence
• In Brief | ASIC has made a product intervention order banning the issue and distribution of binary options to retail clients. The ban will take effect from Monday 3 May 2021 and remain in place for 18 months, after which it may be extended or made permanent
• In Brief | Regulations to support eligible rollover fund closure - Treasury Laws Amendment (Reuniting More Superannuation) Regulations 2021 – were registered on 1 April 2021 and commenced on 2 April. The regulations are intended to support amendments made under the Treasury Laws Amendment (Reuniting More Superannuation) Act 2021 (Cth)
• In Brief | ASIC has reminded companies of their obligations to comply with financial reporting obligations, and said that it will continue to take action to ensure compliance. ASIC took action against three companies for financial reporting failures between 1 July 2020 and 31 December 2020

• Top Story | Four lessons for aged care from financial services
• The government has released its formal response to the Respect@Work report
• In Brief | Guidance issued: Comcare the Federal work health and safety regulator has released a number of resources to assist employees and employers in preventing/responding to workplace sexual harassment

Climate Risk

• Zealand to mandate TCFD-aligned reporting for the financial sector
• Climate lobbying by industry associations: Shell may exit from the Queensland Resources Council and separately Equinor has exited APPEA over misalignment on climate issues
• New appointments to the Climate Change Authority announced
• Risk of cyber-attacks and climate risk among the top risks to Australia's continued financial stability says the RBA
• In Brief | The IMF has launched a new Climate Change Indicators Dashboard which it describes as 'an international statistical initiative' in the form of a single platform intended to enable comparison of the progress of different countries against key climate change indicator
• In Brief | S&P Dow Jones has announced that it will remove Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone from its Sustainability Index in response to concerns raised by human rights and environmental groups
• In Brief | Coca-Cola Amatil has announced that it has joined the global RE100 renewable energy initiative and committed to power its entire operations with 100% renewable electricity by 2030 (and by 2025 in Australia and New Zealand
• In Brief | Changes triggered by the warming climate pose a security threat to Australia: New report cautions that Australia is 'on the cusp of an overlooked, unprecedented and rapidly advancing regional crisis' occasioned by the physical impacts of the warming climate. The report makes several policy recommendations directed at scaling up the nation's capability across various agencies to enable them to better recognise and respond to the emerging regional climate impacts
• In Brief | A 'gas-supported transition to a net-zero emissions electricity system'? Grattan report argues that Australia can achieve a net-zero carbon emissions electricity system without threatening affordability or reliability of supply (and entirely without coal) but cautions against rushing into 100% renewable energy on the basis that doing so would be costly (especially during the winter months)

• Time for a 'pink' budget? Chief Executive Women's pre-budget submission makes five recommendations to support Australia's COVID-19 recovery