Association for Sustainability in Business Inc
Sustainable Business Growth
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
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.
Preparing for Australia’s carbon tax – CEO Forum Group
Preparing for Australia’s carbon tax – CEO Forum Group.
This is an interesting piece by Adrian King, National Partner in Charge of KPMG’s Climate Change & Sustainability Services practice in Australia.
Beyond sustainability: Exploring the principles of restorative management
The leadership of sustainability is an emerging issue in Fortune 1000 companies, and 70% of these companies have indicated that they intend to increase their investments in sustainability over the next five years.
The implications of this trend are that business leaders have begun to understand the importance of sustainability as well as how its integrated implementation can offer both a competitive advantage and a new host of unforeseen benefits. Many of the current sustainability management practices have set the foundation for the next phase of sustainability, which is restorative management.
While sustainable organizational practices contribute to thriving, restorative management requires managers to become aware of the value basis of stakeholder interactions, and adapt principles that reflect changing stakeholder beliefs and assumptions.
This paper will review the principles of restorative management with special emphasis on strategies that can be used to adopt these principles in business organizations. Core competencies that are required for restorative management are described, and key assumptions necessary to move beyond sustainability management are defined.
Prof Anton Camarota, University of Denver, United States of America
“Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation’ Conference on the Gold Coast in September 2011. Join the Australian and International sustainability business community as they gather at this key industry event.
10 Ways to Cut Carbon Emissions in Your Buildings
Johnson Controls Inc. and its Make Your Buildings Work program offer 10 tips on how your company can reduce its carbon footprint and emissions by minimizing the environmental impacts of facilities and operations.
The advice is part of Johnson Controls’ campaign to emphasize practical solutions for building owners, managers and operators to improve the energy efficiency and performance of their properties.
The company’s “10 Tips” series is among resources available on the JCI microsite MakeYourBuildingsWork.com. Here are Johnson Controls’ recommendations for cutting carbon emissions:
1. Consider investigating in renewable energy technologies to become less dependent on the grid. This is good for the economy, environment and energy security. Using renewable energy technologies can increase owner revenue, revitalize rural communities and reduce dependence on the power grid — all without consuming natural resources or emitting pollution or greenhouse gases.
2. Promote recycling. Establish a recycling program and distribute recycling containers around your buildings and/or campus to encourage separation of waste and recyclable items.
3. Make cleaning and maintenance greener. Reduce the environmental impact of in-building operations such as cleaning, pest management and maintenance by using more environmentally friendly cleaning products and organic — or eco-sensitive synthetic — filters for equipment.
4. Host meetings with minimal environmental impact. Host and encourage telemeetings. In-person meetings should be held at green hotels that serve water in pitchers instead of bottles, reuse name badges and donate unused food to local food pantries.
5. Offer telecommuting options to employees. Establish a telecommuting program allowing employees to work from home one to five days a week.
6. Institute flex time. Encourage flex time which will stagger start/end times so that employees can avoid getting stuck in rush hour traffic and as a result use less gas and reduce emissions.
7. Increase employee and student awareness. Set up education sessions for employees/students to share home/work tips to reduce their individual and collective carbon footprints.
8. Support green suppliers. Use vendors and suppliers who embrace green practices (i.e. buy local, purchase used office furniture, etc.).
9. Modernize your fleet. Update fleets with more environmentally friendly vehicles where applicable and consider switching to electric and hybrid vehicles.
10. Promote environmentally friendly commuting. Establish carpool initiatives for employees. Provide mass transit passes for employees. Reward hybrid car owners with preferred parking. Johnson Controls launched MakeYourBuildingsWork.com this summer. The microsite features case studies, an energy efficiency calculator, other tools and separate sections on reducing energy costs, efficient operations, creating quality environments and reducing carbon emissions with 10 tips on how to achieve improvements in area.
A sustainable approach makes business sense
An integrated sustainability framework delivers value beyond traditional economic measures.
The efficiency and effectiveness in which environmental resources are managed is the pathway to the licence to operate within communities and with government regulators.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the use of clean water, land disturbance and waste to landfill contributes to the key concept of “doing more with less” and has a positive effect on operating and regulatory costs – ultimately benefiting both the company and the environment.
Government regulators and financial stakeholders demand high standards of environmental and social performance. Strong relationships in the communities enhance corporate reputation and the licence to operate in new countries.
In keeping with community sentiment, employee motivations are often linked with environmental and ethical standards. A solid reputation in sustainability can influence the attraction and retention of skilled human capital and in return can enhance the knowledge and skills of the workforce.
Applying a sustainability framework can improve the company’s reputation, reduce business interruption, protect the licence to operate and is a pathway to future growth.
At Santos we are committed to integrating the principles of sustainability into our business and seek to play a key role in transitioning Australia to a low carbon economy.
Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation Conference September 2011
I would like to invite you to take part in the ‘Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation’ Conference on the Gold Coast this September.
Join the Australian and International sustainability business community as they gather at this key industry event. The Conference host organisation is committed to ensuring that the highest calibre of plenary and symposium speakers attend this meeting, and have already confirmed participation of some outstanding speakers. This year the streams dedicated to commercialisation will feature case studies by start-up companies; how to take a product from discovery to market; capital raising; IP; regulatory issues; and more.
There will be two networking functions to maximise business and learning prospects. The Conference will offer free wireless internet to all delegates and exhibitors at the Conference and free broadband in accommodation rooms. We will be conducting an online Business to Business Forum, which enables registered delegates, presenters and exhibitors to network before, during and after the Conference. This will create an opportunity for delegates to set meeting times at the conference with other delegates or exhibitors and to maintain contact post event. It also provides an avenue for professionals to enter into a dialogue before the event and maintain one afterwards thereby maximising the business and learning opportunities raised by the Conference.
I invite you to join me, together with the Conference Committee, in learning from our keynote speakers and their analyses, what is being done, and what needs to be done to better meet the sustainable needs of the industry and consumers. With their input, and our interactive Conference program, we can be guided in our efforts to examine the efficacy of existing programmes in order to efficiently meet current and future needs. I look forward to seeing you at the Gold Coast for the ‘Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation Conference’.
Sincerely Lani Sullivan
CEO – Association for Sustainability in Business Inc
International Green Construction Code: Game-Changer in Sustainable Building
A new proposal – currently being developed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the International Code Council (ICC) and a group of partner organizations – called the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) could bring the required sea change to the design and construction industry when it comes to sustainable design. The code, which will provide a set of rules and policies by which buildings and their designs must abide, is the first actionable step in making “going green” a requirement and not simply an owner’s choice. The AIA is spearheading the effort as part of its mission to help architects take an active role in lowering the nation’s overall energy consumption… more
by George H. Miller, FAIA Source: Reuters
Exploring the Role of Business through Vision 2050
The Vision 2050study lays out a pathway leading to a global population of some 9 billion people living well, within the resource limits of the planet by 2050. The report ( 2.6 MB) was released at the 2010 World CEO Forum in New Delhi, India.
Twenty-nine companies, led by Alcoa, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Storebrand and Syngenta, have come together to rethink the roles that business must play over the next few decades to enable society to move toward being sustainable. This endeavor has resulted in a call to action that aims to encourage companies to reinvent themselves, their products and services to get where they and society want to be.
Participating companies contributed through workshops, virtual working groups and feedback throughout the project. Vision 2050 also runs a Regional Engagement Program to ensure the project is informed and validated by the major regions of the world.
Why Vision 2050 ?
Vision 2050 addressed thought-provoking questions like:
- What would a vision of a sustainable future look like?
- What are the pathways and solutions for achieving sustainability?
- What does this say for the changes needed?
- What are the risks to achieving this “sustainable” future?
- What are the dilemmas we must address to move forward?
- What are the robust actions, policies and investments needed to move rapidly onto a sustainable pathway?
- …and what is the role of business ?
Source WBCSC
You will find more information on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development website
