RIAA seeks feedback on harm-avoidance review

Estelle Parker at RIAA 2026 in Auckland. (Image: Lesley Springall)

The Responsible Investment Association Australasia (RIAA) is seeking industry feedback as part of a review of its Avoiding Significant Harm (ASH) criteria, which underpins its Responsible Investment Certification Program.

Speaking to Good Returns at the 2026 RIAA conference in Auckland this week, RIAA co-CEO Estelle Parker said the review aims to ensure the criteria remain fit for purpose as investment markets, regulation and community expectations change. “We are doing a review to ensure that the standard that we use to certify products is fit for purpose in a changing and evolving world. There are a whole lot of nuances and complexities when it comes to responsible investing and there are a number of different industries that cause harm. So we want to make sure we get the criteria right, so it enables us to continue to lift standards across the responsible investment industry through certifying products."

The ASH framework sets the minimum exclusion requirements investment products must meet to gain RIAA certification, such as direct exclusions for tobacco and nicotine alternatives and controversial and nuclear weapons. The last significant change to the ASH criteria was made in 2021 when RIAA added nuclear weapons producers to its exclusion list alongside controversial weapons including landmines and cluster munitions.

The RIAA is consulting widely with certified and non-certified product providers and sector experts, said Parker, including surveying conference delegates at this week’s New Zealand and May’s Australian conferences. “We need to know the types of criteria and frameworks members of the industry use when they are making investment decisions for investment products; we need to understand the evolving international regulatory landscape.”