In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG Podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope is joined by Mark Wilks and Kate Gill-Herdman to discuss ESG litigation, one of the fastest evolving areas of legal risk for Australian businesses.

The ESG disputes landscape has developed significantly in recent years, with strategic climate litigants finding new claims and targets, regulators intensifying their focus on greenwashing and mandatory climate reporting raising the bar on corporate disclosure.

In this discussion, Phoebe, Mark and Kate delve into the key ESG litigation trends, what they mean for boards, executives and in-house legal teams and explore how businesses can position themselves strategically to minimise risk.

This episode will be of interest to directors, general counsel, senior business executives, sustainability leaders and risk and compliance professionals.

As Australia’s data centre market accelerates, the infrastructure underpinning AI is rapidly becoming one of the most complex ESG challenges facing businesses today.

In this special episode of Essential ESG, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Louise Camenzuli explore the intersection of energy demand, water constraints, planning frameworks and social licence – and what it means for organisations investing in, or relying on, this critical infrastructure.

As regulatory expectations evolve and scrutiny intensifies, the discussion highlights why responsible growth will depend not just on scale, but on governance, transparency and long-term system planning.

Essential ESG is a podcast series presented by Corrs that breaks down topical issues affecting the rapidly evolving environmental, social and governance landscape in Australia and beyond.

In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Sophie Parr is joined by partners Anna White and Kate Gill-Herdman to discuss Australia’s mandatory climate reporting regime and unpack the lessons learned following the first cycle of reporting.

Sophie, Anna and Kate explore the practical challenges faced by Group 1 reporters, including the significant uplift in climate literacy, the need for multidisciplinary internal teams, and the complexities of applying AASB S2 in large corporate groups, particularly where Australian subsidiaries sit within global structures.

The conversation examines directors’ duties under the Corporations Act, the new declaration requirement, and the transitional liability settings. Kate and Anna discuss how boards can prepare, including ensuring robust governance and verification processes, and maintaining defensible sustainability records. They provide practical guidance such as assessing reporting thresholds early, clarifying internal accountability, and resolving threshold legal issues upfront to avoid downstream challenges.

The episode also highlights ASIC’s early observations on reporting quality and the heightened greenwashing risks arising from inconsistencies between sustainability reports, financial statements and external communications.

This episode will be of interest to directors, general counsel, sustainability leaders, risk and compliance professionals, and organisations preparing for mandatory climate reporting under the framework.

Essential ESG is a podcast series presented by Corrs that breaks down topical issues affecting the rapidly evolving environmental, social and governance landscape in Australia and beyond.