Australian Unity wins initiative of the year at Environmental Finance’s international IMPACT Awards 2023

24 January 2024

Tags: Media

Australian Unity has been awarded Impact initiative of the year – Oceania at the Environmental Finance’s IMPACT Awards 2023 for its Sustainability-Linked Loan, developed in conjunction with Westpac.

The annual Environmental Finance IMPACT Awards recognise the work and achievements of impact investors and creators globally, with a focus on emerging best practice. The award-winning Sustainability-Linked Loan comprises a $50 million financing instrument with Westpac that links the group’s financial arrangements and the delivery of wellbeing outcomes, as measured by its Community & Social Value (CSV) Framework.

Developed with leading social impact specialists, Social Ventures Australia, Australian Unity’s CSV Framework defines and measures the group’s unique social impact across a broad portfolio of health, wealth and aged care products and services.

Adam Vise, Australian Unity’s Group Treasurer and General Manager of Strategy & Impact, said the award is recognition of the work being completed to advance the methodology and legitimacy of measuring the group’s contribution to community and social initiatives.

“Across the board, there is still some way to go for organisations in Australia seeking to measure and attribute social efforts—however, this is gaining traction as policy makers, companies and the community place higher emphasis on creating and measuring wellbeing,” said Mr Vise.

“Through initiatives including our Sustainability-Linked Loan and CSV Framework, we aim to lead the way in this work and showcase how other entities can define and measure their contribution to society.”

“Each year, Environmental Finance recognises the best of the best impact initiatives across the world, and we’re incredibly proud to be amongst the stellar line-up of other international leaders for 2023.”

Kirsty McCartney, Director, Sustainable Finance, Westpac Institutional Bank, said Australian Unity has led the market in defining, measuring and delivering the community and social value that is central to its purpose.

“This award is great recognition of Australian Unity’s leadership and long held focus on improving social outcomes for their members, customers and communities.”

The IMPACT Award follows Australian Unity’s second year of being recognised as one of the Australian Financial Review’s (AFR) Sustainability Leaders for its CSV Framework, which has enabled the company to measure $1.76 billion in social value in the 2023 financial year.

-ENDS-

Media contact:
T: 1300 408 776
E: media@australianunity.com.au

About the Sustainability-Linked Loan
The Sustainability-Linked Loan is issued under Australian Unity’s recently announced Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework, which obtained a Second Party Opinion from ISS Corporate Solutions, Inc., confirming alignment to the Sustainability-Linked Loan Principles and Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles. Australian Unity was supported by Westpac who acted as Sole Sustainability Coordinator.

For more information about Australian Unity’s Sustainability-Linked Loan, view the Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework.

To read our latest impact report and for more information about Australian Unity’s award-winning CSV Framework, visit australianunity.com.au/impact.

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