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INVESTORS LINK CORPORATE RESPONSIBLY WITH REDUCED RISK AND BETTER RETURNS
A new survey commissioned by ASrIA member Calvert revealed that after two years of corporate scandals, investors in the US believe sound corporate governance and overall corporate social responsibility equate to lower risk and better returns.
http://www.asria.org/news/press/1069299974

WORLD'S FIRST RESPONSIBLE COMPETITIVENESS INDEX
The leading international institute, AccountAbility, is launching the Responsible Competitiveness Index 2003. This report explores the potential for corporate responsibility practices and its contribution to national competitiveness. The Index has identified some extremely interesting results, including the risk to macroeconomic growth that countries such as the USA and China face by ignoring corporate responsibility issues
http://www.asria.org/news/press/1071029956

SURVEY SHOWS NGOs SCEPTICAL ABOUT CSR REPORTS
A recent survey conducted by Burson-Marsteller and RoperASW of US-based global nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) showed that less than 50 percent of them consider Corporate Social Responsibly (CSR) reports credible, although CSR reports that disclose non-compliance, poor social or environmental performance, or big challenges are considered more believable.
http://www.asria.org/news/press/1069121769

GLOBAL STAKEHOLDER REPORT 2003 SHARED VALUES?

Results of the first world-wide stakeholder survey on non-financial reporting was recently released. This study looked at the attitudes and interests of the various stakeholder groups to corporate sustainability reporting.
http://www.asria.org/ref/library/csrreports/1070937536

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM LAUNCHES CORPORATE GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE
The World Economic Forum is aiming to improve corporate governance frameworks around the world and to raise international standards with their new initiative, the Global Corporate Governance Dialogue. The dialogue will be workshop-based and focus on the cross-country and comparative dimensions of corporate governance.
http://asp.sriworld.com/asria/press_releases/article.cgi/2284.html

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY CONFERENCE IN LONDON, 25 MARCH
The Guardian & the Observer will hold its Business and Society conference entitled Corporate Responsibility in a Material World in London on 25 March. This conference will highlight leading innovations in corporate responsibility.
http://www.asria.org/news/events/1073550491

ETHICAL CORPORATION CHINA OPERATIONS CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY CONFERENCE IN LONDON, 30-31 MARCH
This 2-day business conference will look at the challenges facing a range of business sectors and industries in operating responsibly across China. A number of varied and interesting issues will be covered.
http://www.asria.org/news/events/1073892415

IN THIS ISSUE:
ASIAN SRI NEWS AND ACTIVITIES
Enterprise governance Ito-Yokado issues third CSR report Australian Securities and Investment Commission releases final SRI disclosure guidelines Australian SRI funds show better returns RFP for Japan conference organiser Looking for good practice New Eco Guide to be launched in mid 2004 Asian clean energy finance report Japanese CSR/SRI resource
GLOBAL SRI NEWS
Investors link corporate responsibility with reduced risk and better returns World's first Responsible Competitiveness Index Survey shows NGOs sceptical about CSR reports Global Stakeholder Report 2003 Shared Values? World Economic Forum launches corporate governance initiative Corporate responsibility conference in London, 25 March Ethical Corporation China operations corporate responsibility conference in London, 30-31 March
THE ASrIA TEAM WISHES ALL OUR MEMBERS AND SUBSCRIBERS A PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL LUNAR NEW YEAR OF THE MONKEY. XIN NIAN JIN BU!
	ENTERPRISE GOVERNANCE Whereas Corporate governance refers to the conduct of a company board, enterprise governance looks at the conduct of a company as a whole. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in Hong Kong recently held a forum on Enterprise Governance. Read ASriA's Chair, Tessa Tennant's reflections on this subject. http://www.asria.org/news/events/lib/031126_tessa_commentary_2.pdf ITO-YOKADO ISSUES THIRD REPORT ASrIA member Ito-Yokado's third sustainability report highlights the company's relations with each stakeholder and a GRI comparison chart linking each indicator to the relevant part of the report. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1069398450 AUSTRALIAN SECURITIES AND INVESTMENT COMMISSION RELEASES FINAL SRI DISCLOSURE GUIDELINES The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has released its landmark guidelines for the inclusion of information relating to labour standards and environmental, social and ethical considerations in the product disclosure statements of investment products. The Ethical Investment Association of Australia played an active role in lobbying for improvements to the draft guidelines and will seek involvement with ASIC to help in the process of educating product issuers about the legal requirements. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1072148147 AUSTRALIAN SRI FUNDS SHOW BETTER RETURNS A new AMP Henderson report concludes that Australian SRI funds outperform their relevant benchmark, the S&P/ASX 200, over the short- and long-term. AMP Henderson surveyed the financial performance of 14 SRI mutual funds in Australia http://www.asria.org/news/press/1069731815 RFP FOR JAPAN CONFERENCE ORGANISER ASrIA seeks an experienced events organiser with investment understanding and familiarity with Japan to co-ordinate a Japan SRI conference in 2004. For more information, please see http://www.asria.org/news/press/1073894647 LOOKING FOR GOOD PRACTICE A recent SRI briefing for senior Hong Kong business people identified the need for good practice examples covering a number of sectors. ASrIA wishes to partner with any other groups interested in developing this resource with the aim of publishing the information on-line. For further details please see http://www.asria.org/news/press/1071558940 NEW ECO GUIDE TO BE LAUNCHED IN MID 2004 A comprehensive guide in both Chinese and English will be published later this year. ECO-PAGES will list international environmental contacts and information on pollution prevention and control equipment/services, eco-product providers, green groups, green fund providers, environmental websites, environmental related government departments, certification bodies, ISO 14001 certified companies, and companies commit to protect the environment. Further details about the launching ceremony in June 2004 to follow. In the meantime, you can find more information including advertising rates at http://www.eco-pages.org/intro_eng.htm ASIAN CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE REPORT A report presented at the PowerGen Asia 2003 conference by environmental finance company, EcoSecurities, discusses novel ways of financing carbon development mechanism renewable energy projects in Asia. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1073442516 JAPANESE CSR/SRI RESOURCE The International Pensions & Economic Research Institute (IPERI) in Japan publish a regular newsletter which has a focus on CSR/SRI. http://www.iperi.co.jp/magazine/maga_menu.html
	INVESTORS LINK CORPORATE RESPONSIBLY WITH REDUCED RISK AND BETTER RETURNS A new survey commissioned by ASrIA member Calvert revealed that after two years of corporate scandals, investors in the US believe sound corporate governance and overall corporate social responsibility equate to lower risk and better returns. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1069299974 WORLD'S FIRST RESPONSIBLE COMPETITIVENESS INDEX The leading international institute, AccountAbility, is launching the Responsible Competitiveness Index 2003. This report explores the potential for corporate responsibility practices and its contribution to national competitiveness. The Index has identified some extremely interesting results, including the risk to macroeconomic growth that countries such as the USA and China face by ignoring corporate responsibility issues http://www.asria.org/news/press/1071029956 SURVEY SHOWS NGOs SCEPTICAL ABOUT CSR REPORTS A recent survey conducted by Burson-Marsteller and RoperASW of US-based global nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) showed that less than 50 percent of them consider Corporate Social Responsibly (CSR) reports credible, although CSR reports that disclose non-compliance, poor social or environmental performance, or big challenges are considered more believable. http://www.asria.org/news/press/1069121769 GLOBAL STAKEHOLDER REPORT 2003 SHARED VALUES? Results of the first world-wide stakeholder survey on non-financial reporting was recently released. This study looked at the attitudes and interests of the various stakeholder groups to corporate sustainability reporting. http://www.asria.org/ref/library/csrreports/1070937536 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM LAUNCHES CORPORATE GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE The World Economic Forum is aiming to improve corporate governance frameworks around the world and to raise international standards with their new initiative, the Global Corporate Governance Dialogue. The dialogue will be workshop-based and focus on the cross-country and comparative dimensions of corporate governance. http://asp.sriworld.com/asria/press_releases/article.cgi/2284.html CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY CONFERENCE IN LONDON, 25 MARCH The Guardian & the Observer will hold its Business and Society conference entitled Corporate Responsibility in a Material World in London on 25 March. This conference will highlight leading innovations in corporate responsibility. http://www.asria.org/news/events/1073550491 ETHICAL CORPORATION CHINA OPERATIONS CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY CONFERENCE IN LONDON, 30-31 MARCH This 2-day business conference will look at the challenges facing a range of business sectors and industries in operating responsibly across China. A number of varied and interesting issues will be covered. http://www.asria.org/news/events/1073892415
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