Australian Asset Owner Stewardship Code

The Code was created in 2018 to help increase the transparency and accountability of stewardship activities in Australia. It was updated in 2024 and applicable to signatories from 1 July 2024.

The Australian Asset Owner Stewardship Code (Code) was created in 2018 to help increase the transparency and accountability of stewardship activities in Australia. The updated Code was published on 22^nd March 2024. The updated Code is applicable to signatories from 1 July 2024.

Stewardship can be defined as the ‘use of investor rights and influence to protect and enhance overall long-term value for clients and beneficiaries, including the common economic, social and environmental assets on which their interests depend.'

The Code provides stewardship principles and guidance to aid asset owners in fulfilling their fiduciary obligations to their beneficiaries. This allows asset owners to approach stewardship in the spirit of the principles while reflecting their size, resourcing, membership and investment policies.

Code signatories disclose their approach to key stewardship activities: voting, engagement, policy advocacy, collaboration and the selection, appointment and monitoring of external asset managers, and to report the outcomes of those activities.

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Click here to download the Code

Stewardship activities

Voting

By voting, investors exercise their right to vote on matters presented at investee company meetings.Voting can be used to express views on a company’s strategy, leadership, remuneration, mergers and acquisitions and ESG practices and disclosure.

Engagement

Engagement involves discussion between investors and the board or senior management of an investee company on long-term issues such as a company’s performance, strategy, leadership, and the quality of its reporting.
Engagement can take several forms, including meetings and written communication, and will have a clear objective. For example, investors may be seeking a better understanding of a company’s strategy, seeking to influence company behaviour, or to accompany their voting activity.

Public Policy Advocacy

Investors may encourage policy makers to align regulatory policy with the interests of long-term investors. For example, investors may advocate for public policy settings that enhance investee companies’ approaches to managing their long-term risk. This represents pursuit of change at the systemic level as a means of enhancing financial outcomes.

Collaboration

Stewardship activities may be undertaken collaboratively. Collaboration can increase influence while supporting activity to be conducted in the most efficient manner. Collaboration must be conducted within the relevant regulatory requirements.

FEATURED REPORT

Requirements for signatories

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ACSI acknowledges thatthere are a range of Stewardship Codes in the domestic and international markets. While some asset owners and asset managers may use the Australian Asset Owner Stewardship Code to disclose their approach to stewardship in Australia, ACSI lists only, signatory statements from ACSI’s membership.

While signing up to the Code is voluntary, ACSI members who wish to become a signatory must:

Publish a Stewardship Statement on their website that (on an ‘if not, why not’ basis):
- Describes how each of the Code’s seven principles have been applied, or
- If one or more principles have not been applied, explains why.
When the statement has been published, provide ACSI a link to the Stewardship Statement via info@acsi.org.au.‍

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FEATURED REPORT

Becoming a signatory

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ACSI members who wish to become a signatory may find it helpful to undertake the following steps:

Familiarise yourself and relevant investment team members, committees, senior management and trustees/boards with the Code.
Determine what (if any) changes need to be made to your policies, practices and disclosures to comply with the Code.
Draft a Stewardship Statement (to be published on your website) that includes the elements listed above.
Once the statement has been prepared and reviewed, advise ACSI and provide us with a link to your Stewardship Statement.

Learn more about the Code

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Code Signatories

The list below shows the ACSI members who are signatories to the Code. The list includes a link to the signatories’ Stewardship Statement, in addition to their responsible investing page. Signatories’ responsible investing website’ pages typically include a link to signatories’ voting policies and a summary of when and how the signatory has exercised their voting rights. The pages may also include links to recent sustainability, stewardship or responsible investing reports.

Please note that signatories began reporting against the updated Code as of 1 July 2024. The statements below may therefore relate to the previous version of the Code.

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<details class="wf-acc-item" open><summary class="wf-acc-head">AustralianSuper</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://www.australiansuper.com/-/media/australian-super/files/investments/how-we-invest/esg-management/australiansuper-stewardship-statement.pdf" target="_blank">AustralianSuper Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.australiansuper.com/investments/how-we-invest/esg-management" target="_blank">AustralianSuper Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">Aware Super</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://aware.com.au/content/dam/aware/au/en/documents/member/factsheets/stewardship-code-feb2026.pdf" target="_blank">Aware Super Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://aware.com.au/member/about-us/responsible-ownership" target="_blank">Aware Super Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">CareSuper</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://acsi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/care-super-stewardship-statement-30-June-2025.pdf" target="_blank">CareSuper Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.caresuper.com.au/investments/how-we-invest/responsible-investing" target="_blank">CareSuper Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">Catholic Super/Equip Super</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://www.equipsuper.com.au/content/dam/equip_super/documents/investment/responsible-investing/responsible-investment-policy.pdf" target="_blank">Catholic Super/Equip Super Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.equipsuper.com.au/your-investments/how-we-invest-your-money/responsible-investing" target="_blank">Catholic Super/Equip Super Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">Cbus Super</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://www.cbussuper.com.au/content/dam/cbus/files/governance/reporting/Stewardship-Statement.pdf" target="_blank">Cbus Super Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.cbussuper.com.au/about-us/sustainability" target="_blank">Cbus Super Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">HESTA</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://acsi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/HESTAstewardshipstatement.Jan25.pdf" target="_blank">HESTA Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.hesta.com.au/about-us/super-with-impact/investment-excellence-with-impact" target="_blank">HESTA Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">Hostplus</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://acsi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Hostplus-Stewardship-Statement-2025.pdf" target="_blank">Hostplus Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.hostplus.com.au/about-us/company-overview/investment-governance#accordion-e2b9763c6d-item-9baf6d1e41" target="_blank">Hostplus Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">NGS Super</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://acsi.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/NGS-Super-Stewardship-Statement.pdf" target="_blank">NGS Super Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.ngssuper.com.au/investments/how-we-manage-investments" target="_blank">NGS Super Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">State Super</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://www.statesuper.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/53106/STC-Stewardship-Statement.pdf" target="_blank">State Super Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.statesuper.nsw.gov.au/investments/investment-policies" target="_blank">State Super Responsible Investment page</a></div></details>

<details class="wf-acc-item"><summary class="wf-acc-head">UniSuper</summary><div class="wf-acc-body"><a href="https://www.unisuper.com.au/-/media/files/investments/responsible-investing/unisuper-stewardship-statement.pdf?la=en&rev=1bb631bd83a04735b91b15ff1aa833fb&hash=6716D49343AB9D8DE864D61595A55D66" target="_blank">UniSuper Stewardship Statement</a><a href="https://www.unisuper.com.au/investments/how-we-invest/responsible-and-sustainable-investing" target="_blank">UniSuper Responsible Investment page</a></div></details></div>

ACSI can assist asset owners who wish to become a signatory. For further information, contact us at info@acsi.org.au.
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