Agribusiness Australia's CEO Summit – held with more than 40 leaders from Australia's largest and most well-known agribusinesses have united behind the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda as a foundation for collaborative action.
Attendees at the summit, held in Sydney on 10 March, resolved that Australian agribusiness is the solution for some of society's major challenges, including how we manage the world's changing climate while producing quality food and fibre.
As part of the summit, attendees received an Elders sponsored landmark industry report titled, '2030, today: unlocking and accelerating the ESG opportunity in Australian agribusiness' compiled by and launched at the event by KPMG.
The report and the summit attendees explored the themes of:
- Act on nature and biodiversity
- Maximise social impact
- Supply chains of the future
- Promote circularity
- Enhance ESG reporting.
Agribusiness Australia chair, and Elders managing director Mark Allison said "Agribusiness continues to play an important role in stewardship of Australia's natural resources, driving our nation's economic growth, and supporting the social fabric of regional communities.
“It was highlighted right across the sector through a range of initiatives that individual companies are undertaking, which make a positive impact well beyond ESG reporting.
"Ensuring Australian agribusiness continues to be at the forefront of ESG will take collective industry action and cooperation across the sector. It was a positive summit where attendees were able to share their ESG measurement and reporting frameworks and confirm a strong commitment to share and explore opportunities going forward."
Consistent priorities included the need for clarity, simplicity and consistency on reporting and measurement on carbon and biodiversity, and a clear expectation that together we must work to leave the world better than we started.
"Australian agribusiness achieves remarkable things when it comes together, driving change environmentally and socially,” Mr Allison said. “We need to harness this strength and tackle our emerging challenges as an industry and demonstrate this progress.
"It was pleasing to see such positivity about leading rather responding to these challenges, enhancing outcomes for regional Australia and broader Australian society."
Mr Allison said Agribusiness Australia will now build on the success of the forum and work to support the aspirations of the sector, right across the agri-value chain.
"This whole of sector approach provides an avenue to initiate positive change together, supporting long-term growth of Australia's economy.”
