Essential ESG

Hosted by Corrs Chambers Westgarth

Business Management

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Oct 2026

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About the show

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.

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32 recent

October 19, 2026Episode 3325 min

Essential ESG Episode 33 – AI in employment and ESG accountability

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.

July 20, 2026Episode 3221 min

Essential ESG: Episode 32 – ESG litigation trends and what they mean for Australian businesses

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.

June 22, 2026Episode 3116 min

ESSENTIAL ESG – SPECIAL EDITION The hidden infrastructure of AI: navigating ESG risk in Australia’s data centre boom

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.

June 5, 2026Episode 3023 min

Essential ESG: Episode 30 – Navigating Australia’s Mandatory Climate Reporting Regime

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.

April 28, 2026Episode 2922 min

Essential ESG: Episode 29 – Inside Australia’s new Scams Prevention Framework

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.

March 26, 2026Episode 2826 min

Essential ESG: Episode 28 – In conversation with Dr James Cockayne, NSW Anti Slavery Commissioner

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.

February 13, 2026Episode 2724 min

Essential ESG: Episode 27 – Unpacking the ACCC’s guidance on modern slavery and sustainability collaborations

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.

December 10, 2025Episode 2621 min

Essential ESG: Episode 26 – Insights from the 2025 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights

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.

November 11, 2025Episode 2521 min

Essential ESG: Episode 25 – Operating responsibly in conflict-affected areas: the role of grievance mechanisms

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.

October 8, 2025Episode 2421 min

Essential ESG: Episode 24 – In conversation with Professor Robert McCorquodale

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.