Organisation | Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA)
Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA)
Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) advocates for responsible investing and a sustainable financial system in Australia and New Zealand. Dedicated to its members, RIAA offers research, events and a professional network that engages its members to create a more responsible finance sector.
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OVERVIEW
The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) is the leading active network of people and organisations engaged in responsible, ethical and impact investing across Australia and New Zealand. With over 450 members managing more than US$29 trillion in assets globally, RIAA champions responsible investing and a sustainable financial system in Australia and New Zealand. RIAA’s membership includes super funds, fund managers, banks, consultants, researchers, brokers, impact investors, property managers, trusts, foundations, faith-based groups, financial advisers and individuals.
RIAA is dedicated to ensuring capital is aligned with achieving a healthy society, environment and economy. RIAA achieves its mission through:
- Providing a voice for responsible investors in the region, including influencing policy and regulation to support long-term responsible investment and sustainable capital markets;
- Delivering tools for investors and consumers to better understand and navigate towards responsible investment products and advice, including running the world’s first fund certification program, and the online consumer tool Responsible Returns;
- Supporting continuous improvement in responsible investment practice among members and the broader industry through education, benchmarking and promotion of best practice and innovation;
- Acting as a hub for members, the broader industry and stakeholders to build capacity, knowledge and collective impact; and
- Being a trusted source of information about responsible investment.
RIAA provides informative factsheets on responsible investment and research on impact investing, Australian superannuation funds, consumers and benchmark reports on Australian and New Zealand responsible investment markets.
RIAA also has several initiatives, including the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative, the Corporate Engagement Working Group, ESG Research Australia, the Human Rights Working Group and the Impact Investment Forum. Each of these initiatives underpins RIAA’s purpose and mission in promoting a sustainable financial system.
MISSION STATEMENT
To promote, advocate for, and support approaches to responsible investment that align capital with achieving a healthy and sustainable society, environment and economy.
FUNDING SOURCES
The funds of the association are derived from annual subscriptions of members, grants, donations, income derived from programs and projects run by the association, and, subject to any resolution passed by the association in general meeting, such other sources as the board determines. See part 6 (39) of the Constitution for more information.
ORGANISATION TYPE
Finance Industry Groups
YEAR ESTABLISHED
1999
LOCATION
Australia, New Zealand
KEY PEOPLE
RECENTLY PUBLISHED BY RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT ASSOCIATION AUSTRALASIA (RIAA)
Charting the path: Foundations for a scalable First Nations investment market in Australia
30 November 2025
This research outlines foundations for a scalable First Nations investment market in Australia. It identifies systemic barriers and proposes a theory of change focused on representation, systems alignment, and capital flows. The report recommends embedding cultural authority into governance and utilising blended finance to support First Nations economic self-determination.
Voices of Aotearoa: Demand for ethical investment in New Zealand series
This annual research series examines public attitudes, expectations and behaviours relating to ethical, responsible and impact investing in New Zealand. It tracks how consumers engage with investment choices, transparency, fund practices and adviser interactions, providing a consistent evidence base to monitor evolving demand over time.
Engage, advocate, collaborate: Unpacking stewardship in Australasia in 2022
26 November 2022
This 2022 report by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia and KPMG examines how investors in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand practise stewardship. It identifies proactive, strategic, and reactive approaches, analyses barriers such as capability and structural limitations, and highlights collaboration, engagement, and policy advocacy as key tools for advancing ESG outcomes.
Responsible Returns
ResponsibleReturns is a directory that enables users to find independently certified ethical, sustainable or responsible banking, superannuation and investment products.
RIAA policy platform: Sustainable finance for a thriving Aotearoa New Zealand 2023 and beyond
28 August 2023
This report outlines RIAA’s policy platform to strengthen sustainable finance in Aotearoa New Zealand. It recommends a national strategy, clearer ESG disclosures, taxonomy alignment with global standards, anti-greenwashing measures, Māori inclusion, human rights protections, and alignment with biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals.
RIAA Policy Platform 2025: Harnessing sustainable finance for a thriving Australia
The RIAA Policy Platform 2025 outlines nine policy priorities and two principles to align Australia’s finance system with sustainability goals. It recommends regulatory reforms, improved data, Indigenous inclusion, and stronger accountability to mobilise capital for a net zero, nature-positive economy that supports long-term economic resilience and societal wellbeing.
Human rights in global value chains investor toolkit
This toolkit guides investors in addressing human rights risks in global value chains. It outlines regulatory developments, risk identification practices, and engagement strategies to improve corporate accountability. Practical steps include audits, grievance mechanisms, collaboration, and traceability to mitigate modern slavery and labour abuses, enhancing long-term investment and operational resilience.
RIAA's responsible investment standard assessment note: For RIAA certified products trading with ‘impact’ in the product label
1 September 2023
This note outlines RIAA’s requirements for certified products using ‘impact’ labels, ensuring alignment with international impact investing standards. It details criteria on intentionality, measurement, and investor contribution, and sets thresholds to avoid misleading claims. Products must show evidence of positive social or environmental outcomes alongside financial returns.
RIAA's responsible investment benchmark report series
This series of benchmark reports, prepared by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA), explores the size, growth, depth, and performance of the Australian responsible investment market, comparing results with the broader financial market. It provides an in-depth analysis of responsible investment practices, trends, and regulatory developments.
Nature investor toolkit: Understanding nature-related risks and opportunities and supporting investors to assess, engage and take action
13 September 2024
The toolkit helps investors identify, assess, and manage nature-related risks and opportunities in their portfolios. It provides guidance on how to engage with stakeholders, evaluate investment impacts on nature, and explore emerging tools for nature-positive outcomes. The toolkit also highlights strategies to mitigate risks and seize nature-related investment opportunities.
Artificial intelligence and human rights investor toolkit
This toolkit aims to provide investors with guidance on how to navigate the intersecting terrain of AI and human rights. It covers the various aspects of AI implementation that have potentially significant implications for human rights, and how investors can engage with companies on these issues. Its focus is on emerging risks and opportunities for investors in the context of rapidly evolving technologies and the ethical challenges they pose.
Human rights and climate change: A guide for institutional investors
Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler International (KPMG International)
- Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA)
9 December 2021
This guide examines the relationship between climate change and human rights. It highlights the responsibilities of institutional investors to recognise and act on climate-related human rights risks. It also identifies crucial areas of risk for investors and provides an action plan to support investors to integrate the management of climate-related human rights risks into their existing frameworks.
RIAA's from values to riches series
1 January 2024
A consumer survey charting Australian awareness, attitudes, and demand for responsible and ethical investing across superannuation, banking, and other financial products.
Investor toolkit on human rights and armed conflict: Managing human rights impacts and international humanitarian law implications before, during and after armed conflicts arise
This investor toolkit provides guidance on managing human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) risks before, during, and after armed conflicts. It helps investors identify and address these risks in their portfolios, ensuring compliance with legal obligations and promoting responsible investment practices.
RIAA's benchmarking impact investing series
This is a series of benchmark reports providing comprehensive insights into the impact investing market in Australia. It covers investor motivations, market size, and performance metrics, aiding stakeholders in understanding and enhancing their impact investment strategies.
Investor toolkit: An investor focus on Indigenous Peoples' rights and cultural heritage protection
22 October 2021
This toolkit guides investors on how to assess a company’s relationship with Indigenous stakeholders and its respect for their cultural heritage. The toolkit explains the impact of those issues on long-term financial value before providing detailed guidance on what investors should look for in a company's disclosure and engagement practices.
Responsible investing and financial performance
28 February 2021
The body of evidence continues to stack up – nationally and globally - showing that responsible investments typically achieve stronger risk-adjusted financial performance than their peers, consistently outperforming against benchmarks over short-term and long-term time frames. This fact sheet details the performance of Australian and New Zealand investment products, superannuation and impact investments.
Investor toolkit: Human rights with focus on supply chains
31 August 2018
The purpose of this toolkit is to help investors to engage constructively with the intention to encourage better practice from companies, thereby reducing human rights risks in supply chains. This toolkit focuses on practical engagement points with a business rationale.
Modern slavery reporting - Guide for investors
Australian Council of Superannuation Investors
- Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA)
30 November 2019
This report aims to guide reporting entities and investors on the requirements of the Australian Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act 2018. It informs and provides suggestions to companies and investors on how to identify, manage and reduce the risks and impacts of modern slavery.
