Episode 1 – The meteoric rise of ESG

In the latest episode of Corrs’ Essential ESG podcast, Sophie Parr is joined by Rachael Malarowski to explore the use of AI in employment and its implications for governance, workplace decision-making and ESG accountability. Sophie and Rachael discuss how AI is rapidly becoming the norm across the employment lifecycle, from recruitment and performance management to workforce monitoring, and why algorithmic bias in recruitment tools creates real discrimination risk for employers, particularly under the reverse onus in the Fair Work Act’s general protections provisions. The conversation examines the work health and safety dimensions of AI, the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape at federal and state levels, including Privacy Act disclosure requirements and New South Wales’ digital work systems laws, and how Australia’s approach compares with the EU AI Act. It concludes with practical guidance for organisations, including the importance of keeping humans in the loop, conducting impact assessments, consulting with the workforce and building AI governance frameworks before legislation arrives. This episode will be of interest to directors, HR and people leaders, compliance and risk professionals, and organisations deploying or considering AI tools in the workplace.

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.