In Europe as a whole, only 7.7% of top companies’ chief executives are female, gender diversity barometer shows.

Groups including EuropeanIssuers and ecoDa warn against an EU requirement for firms to consider stakeholder interests when making decisions.

Compliance is no longer simply a question of rules, but of anticipating societal expectations and reflecting them in your corporate strategy.

While progress is being made, the primary measure of performance for most boards and investors largely remains short-term earnings.

Investors lead backlash against Rio Tinto over destruction of Aboriginal sites. Plus a warning from ecoDa on sustainability, and analysis of Australia’s audit market.

A report from ecoDa cautions that current boardroom composition may not “respond to the imperatives” of the post-pandemic business environment.

European directors’ association ecoDa says standardisation of data to aid comparability may not result in more sustainable companies.

Putting competing shareholder and stakeholder interests on an equal footing risks hampering board decision-making, says ecoDa report.

Boards must set the tone for due diligence as consumers and regulators scrutinise how firms address environmental and human rights risks in supply chains.

The European Confederation of Directors Associations warns that forcing big companies to regulate the behaviour of their suppliers could be counterproductive.