The aim of the event was to discuss sustainability in global mobility, with a focus on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event took place in Sydney on 1st November and was developed in partnership with Grant Thornton, a provider of audit, assurance, tax and advisory services.
The event began with Grant Thornton’s Employment Tax Specialists, Tom Isbell and Shivani Krishnamoorthy outlining the relevance of ESG considerations for global mobility teams. They discussed the fact that reporting requirements and disclosures vary globally, and advocated for proactive collaboration with internal stakeholders to discuss reporting strategies and data management. In addition, they explained why they believe that ESG reporting for employees will soon become a requirement, and explored the governance required to remain compliant in the home and host jurisdiction when employees are working remotely.
Next up was Sarah Thapa, K2’s Australia and New Zealand Immigration Partner from the Migration Agency, who spoke in detail about sustainability in immigration, running attendees through the multiple SDGs which have a direct correlation to the immigration industry. Moving on to discuss the health of the immigration industry in Australia, Sarah spoke about the recent increase in the volume of Australian immigration assessments requested, an increase which highlights the popularity of Australia as a destination country for expatriates. Sarah concluded her piece by commenting that the reforms to Australia’s Skilled Visa Programme are proving hugely beneficial to organisations who are looking to remain competitive in a growing market by attracting and retaining talent for the long-term.
The fourth and final speaker was K2’s Paul Barrett, Managing Director – APAC. Paul spoke about K2’s commitment to the SDGs (despite the challenges posed by the nature of the relocation industry), about its inaugural Sustainability Report which was published in April 2023, and about its EcoVadis Gold rating which was achieved last month. Paul also provided attendees with an overview of both the K2 Foundation and the company’s major fundraising venture for 2023, the epic Nepal Trip.
