SRI funds still in the red
By Martin Lawrence and Paddy Manning

Over 80 per cent of Australia’s ethical funds produced negative returns in the 12 months to the end of November 2002.

Of the 52 wholesale and retail funds with 12 months’ track record to the end of last November in Corporate Monitor’s Australian tables, only seven produced positive returns.

For the full story, go to the Ethical Investor website

Ethical Investor Newsflash: ASIC PROPOSES MANDATORY SRI GUIDELINES
By Martin Lawrence

Fund managers would have to give detailed descriptions of ethical investment criteria and processes, under proposals contained in the long-awaited Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) discussion paper on the subject.

For more, go to http://www.ethicalbusiness.com.au/news.html

idealist.org

There is a new version of the website http://www.idealist.org.

For more, go to http://www.ethicalbusiness.com.au/news.html

The SIRIS newsletter (http://www.siris.com.au) provides the following snippets of news:

The Canadian Government has ratified the Kyoto Protocoland has joined one hundred other countries by making a commitment to the Kyoto Protocol…

Full palate, fruity aroma, and a hint of ecological damage
The trend within the wine industry to replace natural cork with plastic stoppers or screw caps has gained popularity in recent times, supported by claims that wine is protected from contamination by not using cork as a stopper…

For more, go to http://www.ethicalbusiness.com.au/news.html

Sustainability Month – February 2003
www.sustainabilitymonth.org

It’s simple, it’s easy, it’s for everyone and it’s free: it’s an e-calendar for sustainability events

Ed’s note: We suggest that if you register an event with Sustainability Month, you also register it in the Ethical Business Network online events listing, and increase your publicity – go to http://www.ethicalbusiness.com.au/eventform.html

For more, go to http://www.ethicalbusiness.com.au/news.html

Sign on to a New Years Resolution against War
Australian actors Kerry Armstrong, Hugh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness, Rebecca Gibney, Vince Colosimo, Jane Hall, Fred Schepisi and Corrine Grant have been joined by many others from the arts, entertainment and media industry in a call to all Australians to join in a New Years Resolution for peace.

For more, go to http://www.ethicalbusiness.com.au/news.html

Ethical Business Makes You Laugh Pt II: If You’re Happy And You Know It Bomb Iraq

by John Robbins

If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.
If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq.
If the terrorists are Saudi,
And your alibi is shoddy,
And your tastes remain quite gaudy,
Bomb Iraq.

To read the other five verses, go to http://www.ethicalbusiness.com.au/news.html