Communicating Sustainability

Gabriel Wong

Max Australia

12 February 2009

Key Issues

• The Rise of Environmentalism

• Sustainability as a Business Issue

• Drivers of sustainability• Drivers of sustainability

• Communicating sustainability: Strategic to tactical

• Five tough questions

• Useful references

The Rise of Environmentalism

The Rise of Environmentalism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JZey9GJQ

P0P0

Sustainability

• Managing and balancing the economic, social and environmental impacts environmental impacts of a corporation’s activities

Source: Dreo (2006)

Sustainability as a Business Issue

• Reputation and Competitiveness

• Attracting investment

• Attracting talent

• Managing risks• Managing risks

• License to operate

• Cost reduction

• Globalisation

Sustainability as a Business Issue

Civil Society

Environment

MandatoryPublic

Media EnvironmentMedia

Investors

Government

VoluntaryBusiness

Drivers of Sustainability

International covenants – Basel

Convention, Kyoto Protocol

Public Reporting Indices - Carbon Disclosure

Project, Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Legislation and planning instruments –

ACCC, EPBC Act, Hazardous Waste Act,

National Packaging Covenant, state based

NGOs – WWF, Greenpeace, PlanetArk (Close

the Loop), Total Environment Centre

National Packaging Covenant, state based

EA instruments

National reporting frameworks - NGERS /

Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme

Industry associations – AIIA (Byteback),

Australian Industry Group, Consumer

Electronics Suppliers Association (Product

Stewardship Australia)

ASX Corporate Governance Principle 7:

Recognise and manage risks

Sustainability as a Business Issue

• Sustainable development as a philosophy throughout the business• Intel – Design for the Environment

• Fuji Xerox – Extended Producer Responsibility• Fuji Xerox – Extended Producer Responsibility

• Dell – Sustainability Lifecycle

• Green for product marketing• TrickleStar

Sustainability as a Business Issue

Source: EPA Victoria

Dell

Intel

SAP

Carbon Footprint

I’m yet to receive an answer from anyone, anywhere

regarding how green it is for stuff to be hauled out of pits

and mines all over the world, carried by sea, shuttled

between processing plants and factories, assembled into

computers and other gadgetry using electricity galore, then computers and other gadgetry using electricity galore, then

packed away in boxes that are tossed away without anybody

even pausing to admire the graphic art printed on them.

Simon Sharwood

Communicating Sustainability

• Strategic• Global / Local Commitment

• Environmental Policy

• Impacts, Issues and Targets

• Stakeholders• Stakeholders

• Data Collection

• Standards and Assurance

• Reporting

• Employee Education

• Engagement with Stakeholders

Communicating Sustainability

• Tactical

• Standards based (Energy Star, energyrating.gov.au)

• Scientific evidence (energy, pollution, waste)• Scientific evidence (energy, pollution, waste)

• Trade Practices Act

• Affiliation / endorsement (GECA)

• Event based approach

Communicating Sustainability

• Green Marketing and Trade Practices Act

• Environmental sustainability

• Recycling• Recycling

• Energy and water efficiency

• Impact on biodiversity

Communicating Sustainability

• Misleading through silence• “Made from recycled material” Which part is recycled

/ how much of the content is recycled

• Misleading through predictions• Misleading through predictions• “Product made entirely from recycled materials by

2011”

• Misleading through subjectivity• “Produced completely from clean energy”

Communicating Sustainability

• Unauthorised use of trademarks

• Approval from licensing boards / government• Approval from licensing boards / government

• Performance / benefits based

Communicating Sustainability

Do

• Be honest

• Clear language

• Evidence based

Don’t

• Profit / exploit “green”

• Use jargon

• Misrepresent• Evidence based

• Prepared to change

• Educate

• Engage with stakeholders

• Share information

• Misrepresent

• Send conflicting messages

Five Tough Questions

• Sustainability in the current economic climate

• How to deal with greenwashing

• What makes a good green IT story• What makes a good green IT story

• How to counsel bad green ideas / clients

• Case Studies: Good, bad and in between

Useful References• Sustainability Reports

• Fuji Xerox Australia

• Insurance Australia Group

• AGL

• Origin Energy

• ANZ Bank

Useful ReferencesTrade Practices Act

• Green Marketing and the Trade Practices Act

Reporting Initiatives

• Carbon Disclosure Project

• Global Reporting Initiative

Sustainability Reporting and Corporate Responsibility

• Corporate responsibility: Managing risk and creating value, Parliamentary Joint Committee

• The Social Reponsibility of Corporations, CAMAC

• Climate Change and the ASX100, Citigroup

• State of Sustainability Reporting in Australia

NGO Campaigns

• Gartner and WWF Assessment of Low Carbon and Environmental Leadership (Nov 2008)

• Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics (April 2007)

Useful ReferencesIndexes

• Corporate Responsibility Index

• Dow Jones Sustainability Index

• Reputex Sustainability Index Series

• FTSE4Good Index Series

Thought Leadership Opportunities -- e.g. committees, roundtables, speaking opportunities, etc.

• Green Capital

• St James Ethics Centre

• Greenhouse Challenge

• Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change

• Centre for Sustainability Leadership

• World Business Council for Sustainable Development - Australia

Useful ReferencesRecycling Schemes / Alliances

• Product Stewarship Australia

• Byteback Victoria

• Mobilemuster

• Close the Loop

• Project Paperless

• Planet Ark

Standards

• Energy Star

• Energy Rating – Federal and State Governments

• Good Environmental Choice Australia – ecolabelling scheme

Useful ReferencesPublications

• ecoVoice

• WME

• Sustainability Matters

• ReNew

• Environment Business

• Sustainable Life Media