Carbon proofing your business

Better Boards Conference, July 2012

Sherryn West – Howard Nielsen

Business questions on carbon and costs

How will carbon pricing affect our costs?

How will our suppliers’ costs increase?

How much will we have to pay for energy and water?

What carbon price related costs will we pass on to customers?

How will our risk profile affect our insurance?

Will our funders/customers be happy with our carbon exposure?

Business questions on carbon and revenue

How will carbon pricing affect our customers’ perceptions and demand patterns?

Can our business differentiate itself in the market by adopting sustainable practices?

How can we generate revenue from our low-carbon status?

How will we work with customers and suppliers to minimise the impact?

Run an eco-efficient businessProcure sustainablyBe organised and plan for sustainability

The answer?

How do we do this?

Do a workplace scan – find out what to do – pick the easy bits first.Example checklist - 9 questions out of 106 for energy and 300 for all eco-efficiencyEnergy site survey checklist - Sustainable Business Cluster Project: NACC

For each item, tick the relevant column (yes/no/not applicable) then decide if you may consider doing something about it. If so, tick the “Will do” column and note any action that needs to be taken in the workplace. (Edited from the ecoBiz Toolbox checklist by NACC)

Eco-efficiency?

Question yes no NA Will do

What action

Lighting          1.Are lights always switched off when not in use?          2.Is natural lighting used whenever possible during the day?          3.Do trees or other obstructions prevent light from entering buildings during the day?

         

4.Are there separate lighting controls for sections of large areas? (e.g. using half a room)

         

5.Are dimmer controls used where appropriate?          6.Are low energy lights used in all cases?          7.Is there too much lighting used for any area?          8.Are light fittings free of dust?          9.Are skylights clean?          

Make sustainable decisions about the procurement of goods and services(Examples extracted from NACC’s full policy and checklist)

Sustainable procurement?

Stages and Key Questions NotApplic

Rate 1

Rate 2

Rate 3

Rate 4

Rate 5

Stage 1: Establishing the need            

Q1: Do we really need this product? na yes probably unsure unlikely noQ2: Can we use the existing product more efficiently to avoid replacement right now?

na yes probably unsure unlikely no

Stage 2: Collecting information on the product            Q5: Can we access information about product options? na yes probably unsure unlikely noQ6: Is the information reliable, using third party opinion? na yes probably unsure unlikely no

Stage 3: Rating the product            Q9: Is the product made from sustainable resources? na yes fair bit some not much no

Q14:Is the product reusable or recyclable at end of life? na yes fair bit some not much noQ15:Where is the product made? na local regional state int’state o’seasQ16:Is packaging used to transport / store the product? na none not much some fair bit a lot

Q17: Is the product produced in fair trade conditions? na yes   unsure   no

The three keys

People

Systems

People

People

connecting and collaborating for capability

Skills

KnowledgeAttitudes

Systems

Systems

connecting and collaborating for capability

Strategising

ProcuringOperating

The rest of the world

The rest of the world

Respond to ‘requirements’, do good

and be known to do good

Marketing

RealityPerceptions

Strategy

Attending to SCARF to get behaviour change

Self statusCertaintyAutonomy Relatedness Fairness

Social network style website Trend indicator for the sustainability

of organisations Provides green tips Enables a Green Street Score to be

calculated and tracked Connects Sustainable Business

Precincts

www.greenstreet.net.au

Green Street

www.micahprojects.org.au

More from:

www.naccsustainability.com.au