Australian CSR Indexes
28 February 2005 at 12:02 pm
2005 sees the launch of the first of a number of socially responsible investing (SRI) indexes in Australia.
Melbourne-based social responsibility rating agency RepuTex announced the launch of the “first Australian SRI index this month.
Australian social investors will go from having no choices for domestic SRI index investing to having possibly two within a short period of time. The Australian SAM Sustainability Index (AuSSI) is also expected to launch a dedicated country-specific index.
In announcing the formation of the SRI Index, RepuTex Chairman Graeme Lee said the Index will track the share-price movements of Australia’s most socially responsible companies.
It will be governed by an Index Committee to be established with appropriate stakeholder representation and administered by RepuTex.
Lee says many of the companies already rated by RepuTex at an “A” or above level will be automatically included in the Index and based on current ratings, there are about 32 companies that may qualify automatically.
RepuTex will undertake ratings of other companies listed on the ASX for inclusion in the SRI Index.
Lee says the establishment of the SRI Index will enhance the socially responsible and ethical investment markets in Australia.
RepuTex has public ratings assigned to 120 Australian and New Zealand business enterprises and employs 12 specialist research analysts.
A spokesman for RepuTex says put simply, the ‘mums and dads’ investors will be able to check at the end of each trading day the performance of the most socially responsible companies on the stock market.
Its launch date is expected in late March or early April.
