The year ahead
2026 has arrived and Australia is happily sizzling through summer. For governance professionals, the start of the year brings renewed focus on the issues already reshaping decision-making, risk and accountability.
2025 saw significant corporate governance developments in Australia, and we continued to be a strong voice within national policy conversations. Contributions from Governance Institute included 23 formal submissions to ASIC, Treasury, APRA, the Productivity Commission, and the Attorney-General’s Department on a range of topics, from regulatory simplification to modern slavery reform. This year will be no different.
Last year also saw the launch of our new Sustainability Reporting short course. The course equips governance professionals with the knowledge to navigate ESG disclosure and climate reporting with confidence. Sustainability governance continues to play an important role as Group 2 entities begin mandatory sustainability reporting in accordance with AASB S2 Climate-related Disclosures from July 1, 2026.
We’re also looking forward to continuing our Another Good Decision vodcast, which explores the big topics, news and opinions that are shaping governance, risk, and leadership today. Every episode will feature leading thinkers and practitioners sharing how organisations can make smarter, future-ready decisions.
2026 will raise further questions about AI and the role of boards and execs in embracing change and technology. Governance Institute is currently conducting research into the governance of agentic AI systems in the workplace, examining how increasingly autonomous and dynamic technologies extend traditional governance frameworks into real-time, proactive safety mechanisms. Our AI Governance Expert Advisory Panel – bringing together business, legal and academic leaders – will be shaping our response to the weighty ethical challenges AI raises and building fit-for-purpose governance frameworks that will help organisations get the most out of Agentic AI.
Our Governance and Risk Management Forum roadshow is set to return for another year. In a world where change is constant and accelerating at an incredible pace, building organisational resilience is a must. The panels and speakers appearing at these popular state events will help organisations understand and embed transparency and responsibility at every level, with practical strategies that deliver results across culture, systems, and processes. Additionally, we’ll be looking at upcoming changes and updates to regulatory and reporting regimes across AML, climate, cyber and focus areas for regulatory oversight and enforcement like market integrity, financial fraud, consumer protection, and record keeping.
Finally, 2026 will also see the release of the eleventh edition of the Ethics Index. Last year’s edition showed that Australians believe ethics is more important than ever but aren’t seeing enough ethical behaviour in everyday life. AI and social media are the epicentre of this increasing trust deficit, and younger generations are struggling to know what’s real or not in a digital-first world. This year we will be looking at the evolving opinions of trust in institutions, the rise and impact of agentic AI, and will continue to push the importance of building trust through good governance.
We’re excited for what’s ahead and we’re ready to make 2026 a year of progress and impact.