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Popular power is pushing the largest Australian companies to adopt a more ethical behavior, but experts admit that too many of them are "late" on climate change.
The Royal Bank Inquiry Commission and the Modern Slavery Act sparked discussions in key conference rooms on the ethical behavior of supply chains that provide cheap products to Australians .
But local officials at the Global Compact, the UN's sustainable development network, say political inaction is preventing companies from making decisions on climate change.
Executive Director Kylie Porter said consumer abuse by the financial and banking sectors has awakened all businesses.
"The Royal Bank Inquiry is a topic that is absolutely discussed at the management level," she told AAP.
"I could not tell you about a CEO where this does not happen in a conversation.
"(But) in terms of climate and climate risk, I would say that it varies considerably."
Porter said many Australian companies that have joined the Global Compact network are taking steps to respond ethically to their role in addressing climate change.
"There are (also) many who are behind ball eight," she said.
"Companies that have faced, or have had the threat of facing, a shareholder resolution to an ineffective disclosure of human rights with respect to human rights due diligence ( or de), are those that react very positively.
"(But) we do not see the movement in Australia as you do in Europe, where companies are committing to clean net issuance and are putting in place mitigation plans to achieve it."
Senior Advisor Corinne Schoch said that political incoherence on climate change was a problem.
"We are looking for some indication of what we should do to really invest in the right thing," she told AAP.
"I sometimes feel bad comparing ourselves to other countries in Europe when the political climate is very, very different".
Ms Porter said that while investor groups were causing change in business, Australian consumers were not fully aware of the impact of the change. slavery on the cheap products that they were buying.
"I think we're talking more about an ethical consumer in Australia than the number that actually exists," she said.
"Everyday consumers talk a lot about social networks wanting to know where their products come from.
"(But) it's only when someone tells them" Did you know your pension fund invested in cluster munitions, or did you know your retirement pension invested in tobacco? " "That they're going to oh I could change the super bottoms".
The modern slavery law came into force on January 1 and companies will start filing their declaration of conformity in 12 months.
Ms. Schoch said companies should understand that they will have to absorb the costs badociated with eliminating slavery from their supply chains.
"The consumer now wants this $ 3 t-shirt without modern slavery," she said.
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