Essential ESG: Recent Episodes
Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Essential ESG is a podcast series that breaks down topical issues affecting the rapidly evolving environmental, social and governance landscape in Australia and beyond. Presented by Corrs Chambers Westgarth, it offers bite-sized insights for business on navigating sustainability risks and opportunities.
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.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn‑Pope is joined by Caroline Marshall to explore Australia’s new Scams Prevention Framework and its implications across the financial services, telecommunications and digital platform sectors.
Phoebe and Caroline discuss why scams have become a pervasive and systemic issue in Australia, and why the Government has adopted a new “whole‑of‑ecosystem” regulatory approach that goes beyond traditional bank‑centric models seen in other jurisdictions.
The conversation examines key features of the regime, including the reasonable steps obligation, the allocation of regulatory oversight across the ACCC, ASIC and ACMA, and the emerging dispute resolution model. It concludes with practical guidance for organisations preparing for the new regime, including the importance of documenting controls, planning for internal dispute resolution, and adapting governance frameworks as scam risks and technology evolve.
This episode will be of interest to directors, compliance and risk professionals, and organisations operating in regulated sectors preparing for the commencement of the Scams Prevention 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.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Dr Phoebe Wynn‑Pope is joined by Dr James Cockayne, NSW Anti‑Slavery Commissioner, for a timely discussion on the State’s evolving approach to modern slavery risk management.
Phoebe and James explore the origins and mandate of the Commissioner’s role and unpack how NSW is operationalising mandatory modern slavery due diligence across more than 450 public sector entities. The Commissioner discusses the development of the reasonable steps framework, its alignment with global human rights standards, and what it means for government buyers and suppliers operating across high‑risk, complex supply chains.
The conversation also touches on insights from the Commissioners landmark monitoring probe into EVs and lithium‑ion battery procurement, including key findings, systemic issues identified in the reports, and the growing need for coordinated, whole‑of‑government capability to address modern slavery risks in critical supply chains.
This episode provides practical guidance for organisations navigating modern slavery obligations and highlights why modern slavery risk is increasingly a mainstream governance issue for both public and private sector entities.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Lara Hall and Kate Gill‑Herdman discuss the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) updated guidance on sustainability collaborations.
They explore how the refreshed guidance – which includes newly developed modern slavery case studies – is designed to help businesses collaborate responsibly while navigating Australia’s competition laws and compliance obligations.
The conversation also highlights why collaboration is increasingly critical for identifying modern slavery risks across complex, multi‑layered supply chains. Lara and Kate unpack the practical considerations for organisations wanting to work together, the role of information‑sharing protocols, and the pathways available when more formal engagement with the ACCC is required.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Kate Gill-Herdman share insights from the 2025 United Nations Business and Human Rights Forum in Geneva.
This year’s forum theme ‘Accelerating action on business and human rights amidst crises and transformations’ sparked discussions on how businesses can scale up implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
Phoebe and Kate explore key trends arising from discussions, including heightened human rights due diligence in conflict-affected and high-risk areas, the role of AI in supply chain risk management, and growing links between environmental and human rights accountability.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Kate Gill-Herdman discuss the role of operational-level grievance mechanisms in ensuring responsible and sustainable business conduct when operating in conflict-affected and high-risk areas.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Dr Phoebe Wynn-Pope is joined by Professor Robert McCorquodale to explore the evolving global landscape of business and human rights. This episode is a recording of a live event.
In this special episode of Essential ESG, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and James North discuss the fast-evolving landscape of responsible artificial intelligence (AI) governance.
As AI technologies continue to transform industries, the legal and regulatory frameworks surrounding them are shifting just as rapidly. With AI regulation in flux globally, Phoebe and James explore why proactive AI governance is critical – not only for managing legal risks and navigating emerging regulations, but also in unlocking AI’s productivity potential and building stakeholder trust.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and sustainability executive Susan Mizrahi discuss how sustainability practices, in particular the role of the Chief Sustainability Officer, are evolving within the private sector.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Jo Dodd, Chloe Delahunt-Devlin, Emmanuel Georgouras and Patrick Magee discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by blended finance.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Kate Gill-Herdman unpack the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and consider the likely impacts on Australian businesses.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and special guest Professor Justine Nolan (Director, Australian Human Rights Institute and Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice, University of New South Wales) discuss emerging drivers of change in business and human rights.
Phoebe and Justine consider a number of key drivers of change and discuss several transformational approaches to integrating business and human rights being adopted in Australia and overseas.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Eloise O’Brien and special guest Dr Jonathan Kolieb of RMIT University discuss responsible business conduct in the context of armed conflict and the Global Reporting Initiative’s new sustainability standard for the mining sector.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Louise Camenzuli and Georgia Smith discuss likely upcoming reforms to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Eloise O’Brien discuss what the recognition of this right means for the business community, and the impact of the net zero transition on human rights more broadly.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Joshua Aird discuss the increasing relevance of statutory charters of rights for business.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Alison Morris and Emmanuel Georgouras discuss macro trends in sustainable finance.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Joshua Aird discuss the international human rights principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC).
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Adam Stapledon, Alison Morris and Emmanuel Georgouras discuss emerging trends in sustainable finance for 2023 and beyond.
As corporates take action to stay up-to-date with global developments and meet increasing stakeholder expectations, sustainable finance is becoming much more mainstream. Adam, Alison and Emmanuel discuss a number of emerging trends in the area, including the use of sustainability-linked loans and green financing.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Heidi Roberts, Sarah Clarke and Erin Richardson discuss recent amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act that are focused on eliminating sex or gender based discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Sandy Mak discuss the growing role of ESG in M&A, as a driver of both deal activity and increased transaction scrutiny by regulators and shareholders.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Heidi Roberts discuss the ‘S’ or social pillar of ESG, which requires companies to consider the people and communities that are impacted by their business activities.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Eloise O’Brien discuss the key takeaways from the 11th annual United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, held recently in Geneva.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Eloise O’Brien discuss the human rights impacts of mega sporting events.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Joshua Aird discuss the international human rights principle of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). Recognised in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), FPIC provides for the operationalisation of the right to self-determination for indigenous peoples, and the right to be free from racial discrimination.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Joshua Aird discuss the key principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Louise Camenzuli focus on the ‘E’ in ESG, and discuss some of the big issues organisations currently face in relation to the environment, climate change and sustainability.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Heidi Roberts discuss the key considerations for organisations in relation to gender and modern slavery, including the identification of risks in their supply chains and operations.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Heidi Roberts discuss what organisations need to be thinking about in relation to modern slavery, including the Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act and reporting requirements.
In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Eloise O’Brien discuss the concept of a just transition to a net zero global economy.
In the first episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Phoebe Wynn-Pope and Kate Gill-Herdman set the scene for the series by discussing the perfect storm of social, economic and political developments that have contributed to a meteoric rise of ESG.