Association for Sustainability in Business Inc
Adding Value
Australian Road Authority Tenders: constructing sustainability comparison tools
By Prof Russell Kenley, Professor of Mangement, Swinburne University of Technology, Dr Toby Harfield, Research Fellow - Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre, Swinburne University of Technology, Dr Palaneeswaran Ekambaram, Senior Lecturer - Faculty of Engineering & Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology
Australian state road authorities plan, manage and oversee the delivery of safe, efficient and integrated transport systems for sustainable economic, social and environmental outcomes in Australia. However, each state has unique administrative structures, guidelines and requirements for implementing the principles of environmental and ecological sustainability. This diversity means that standard methodologies to enable comparison of construction tenders in relation to claims of greenhouse gas emissions is currently lacking.
As approximately $4.6B will be spent annually on road construction to 2013–14, it is imperative that methods to qualify, calculate, and assess sustainability claims in construction tenders for infrastructure projects be developed. That is the aim of this study.
The conference presentation will focus on mapping activities, roles and responsibilities for road construction tenders within each state. These maps are expected to provide points of adaptation for new sustainability methodologies utilising procurement assessment criteria.
The outcome of this study is expected to be one set of empirically devised prototype tools to enable road and rail authorities, and construction companies, to fulfil their sustainability obligations. It is expected that the findings will be integrated into state road construction tendering processes. It is also assumed that standard methodologies for comparison of tenders will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during infrastructure construction in Australia.
Prof Russell Kenley, Dr Toby Harfield, Dr Palaneeswaran Ekambaram
Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation Conference
Radisson Resort, Gold Coast – May 21 & 22, 2012
Sustainability that Pays
The social and environmental benefits of sustainable procurement are clear, but it should not be assumed this always comes at a higher price – indeed the opposite can be true, finds Adam Leach
When Prince Charles launched his Accounting For Sustainability project, he highlighted the need for “better accounting” in the pursuit of increasing sustainability in the business world. The International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC), which is part of HRH’s project, last month called for sustainability and financial reporting from companies to be more closely linked. It argued “globalisation and resulting interdependencies in economies and supply chains” has left reporting standards out of date. It’s a smart call because while sustainable procurement can produce significant environmental benefits, it can also bring savings and even profit.
Read the full article here
Turning waste into a resource :: SustainabilityMatters
With landfill sites under strain, can Australia’s capital cities benefit from waste to energy processing? Pablo Perez-Reigosa* from Coffey Environments explains how the technology works and its successful implementation in Europe… Turning waste into a resource :: SustainabilityMatters.
Expansion of re-use water at WWTP :: SustainabilityMatters
Victor Harbor is a popular and rapidly expanding coastal town on the Fleurieu Peninsula, some ninety kilometres south of Adelaide. The Victor Harbor Wastewater Treatment and Reuse Project (VHWTRP) was first commissioned in December 2005. Now with a greater demand for sustainable re-use water in the region, SA Water engaged United Utilities to upgrade the plant and network… more Expansion of re-use water at WWTP :: SustainabilityMatters.
The Benefits of Green Credentials.
As sustainability and environmental policy continue to evolve, forming the biggest business opportunity of the 21st century, it is now a business imperative for companies to have credible green credentials.
The GreenBizCheck presentation aims to educate attendees on the importance for all companies, from micro businesses through to large multinationals, of achieving certifiable green credentials. The GreenBizCheck workshop will examine, how government, corporate and consumer pressure are influencing the criteria for procurement decisions, what credible green certification options are available and the differences between them, how to protect your rating and engage staff, how to communicate your green credentials with customers and suppliers and how credentials will affect your bottom line.
Attendees will view a Powerpoint presentation with case studies from Australian businesses exemplifying how green credentials were invaluable to their reputation and bottom line. After this workshop conference attendees will have enough information to know which organisations to approach for certification, guidelines to consider before, during and after the certification process and how to maximise their green credentials.
Mr Tony Hall, CEO GreenBizCheck
“Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation” The Conference 15th & 16th September – Radisson Resort, Gold Coast, Australia
Corporate understanding of ecosystem services
The reliance organizations have on ecosystem services such as clean water, air, climate, timber, fibres, food and genetic resources is fundamentally an element of corporate risk and strategy that is often overlooked.
Where traditional environmental management examines the impact the organization has on the environment, the idea of ecosystem services is novel in the sense that it is also concerned with the impact the environment has on the organization.
We surveyed corporate managers in the Australian resources and infrastructure sectors and found that most are ill-equipped to address ecosystem services as a strategic aspect of long-term organizational sustainability. A high proportion of respondents indicated that their organization has both the awareness and capacity to address ecosystem service issues. However, this contradicts previous research which suggests that it is unlikely that organizations implement strategies to secure access to multiple ecosystem services.
The results of this research indicate that corporate managers’ distinguish ecosystem services as a concern that transcends environment departments. This suggests that organizational culture has a role to play in fostering an environment where the management of ecosystem services is integrated across a range of business activities.
However, we also found that environment and sustainability managers are not empowered to enact the organizational transformation that is required to achieve holistic ecosystem management.
Kristine Dewar, Business Sustainability Analyst, Carbon House
“Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation” The Conference
15th& 16th September – Radisson Resort, Gold Coast, Australia
