Posted by Sustainability Editor

The power of partnerships and wind

Major global events have increased the profile of environmental issues in business.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals have been launched; boards are acknowledging their fiduciary duties to disclose climate-related risk; and the Paris Agreement has been ratified, to cite just three.

The Paris Agreement has generated a ripple effect and now individual countries, sectors and organisations have announced their own aspirations to contribute to the global 2°C goal.   

“The project will provide significant environmental benefits and substantial support to the local community and regional economy.” – Rebbeck

Environmental markets are also impacting companies’ bottom line while barely a day goes by without Australian mainstream media discussing the domestic energy market.

Australian electricity spot prices have tripled since December 2016 with volatility remaining prevalent due to factors like major coal-fired generators closing and ongoing policy uncertainty.

So how do organisations achieve energy affordability in increasingly volatile markets while delivering environmental agendas?

ANZ, Coca Cola Amatil, Telstra and University of Melbourne collaborated to solve this very problem through a renewable energy power purchase agreement (PPA).

The PPA focuses on the Murra Warra Wind Farm, located near Horsham in North West Victoria.

An electricity supply contract between a renewables project and an energy buyer, a PPA typically has a long contract term of around six to 12 or more years. They require an upfront agreement on the cost of electricity and/or green products for the life of the contract.

As a result, a PPA can generate substantial energy cost savings whilst delivering new and additional renewable energy onto the grid.

“Environmental sustainability is a major focus area for ANZ and we are committed to being in line with the global 2°C goal, increasing our renewable energy consumption and maintaining Net Zero Carbon,” Kate Langan, ANZ GM Group Property says.

“The PPA delivers positive social and environmental impact and has a potential to save us $A16 million in future energy costs.”

The companies involved announced the execution of bilateral PPAs with the Murra Warra Wind Farm in late 2017 with successful financial close announced in early 2018.

The organisational PPA journey is best summarised as a four step process.

Originally Published by ANZ Bluenotes, view full article here.

Organic agriculture is going mainstream, but not the way you think it is.

One of the biggest knocks against the organics movement is that it has begun to ape conventional agriculture, adopting the latter’s monocultures, reliance on purchased inputs and industrial processes.

“Big Organics” is often derided by advocates of sustainable agriculture. The American food authors Michael Pollan and Julie Guthman, for example, argue that as organic agriculture has scaled up and gone mainstream it has lost its commitment to building an alternative system for providing food, instead “replicating what it set out to oppose.”

New research, however, suggests that the relationship between organic and conventional farming is more complex. The flow of influence is starting to reverse course.

Practitioners of conventional agriculture are now borrowing “organic” techniques to reduce the use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers and excessive tillage, and to increase on-farm biodiversity, beneficial insects and soil conservation.

All of a sudden, many conventional vegetable farms are starting to look organic.

A tractor sprays pesticide on a field. (Shutterstock)

Organic goes mainstream

Next to nothing has been written on this subject. A rare exception is a 2016 article in the New York Times that profiled conventional farmers in Indiana who had started to use “cover crops.”

These non-commercial crops build organic matter into the soil, fix atmospheric nitrogen and add biodiversity to an agroecosystem, while allowing farmers to reduce artificial fertilizer inputs.

As organic agriculture has scaled up, it has gained credibility in the marketplace as well as on the farm. Organic farming has roots in market gardens and smaller farms, but there is nothing that prohibits organic production at larger scales.

That often means bigger farms, hundreds — or thousands — of acres in size.

This move toward the mainstream has caught the eye of many conventional farmers, who have either transitioned to certified organic production or begun to integrate organic practices on conventional plots.

Market share not the whole story

Even with the upscaling, the market position of organic agriculture remains limited.

In Canada, organic sales grow by nearly 10 per cent per year, and the total value of the organic market is around $5.4 billion. Yet the reality is that the industry is still dwarfed by conventional agriculture.

There are more than 4,000 certified organic farms in Canada, totalling 2.43 million acres. But this accounts for only 1.5 per cent of the country’s total agricultural land.

Also, aside from the two organic heavyweights — coffee (imported) and mixed greens (mostly imported) — the market share of organic groceries is pretty small, at around three per cent.

Yet the influence of organics is felt well beyond its own limited market.

Originally Published by The Conversation, continue reading here.

Locals call for a ‘High Line’ on Sydney’s north shore

Residents of the Sydney suburb of Lavender Bay are pushing for a linear park to be developed along side a historic rail line that would provide a pedestrian link between Lavender Bay and Waverton Station.

Established in 2016, the Sydney Harbour High Line Association describes itself as “a group of like-minded people that sees the importance of building on the amenities to support the huge growth in the number of people living in Sydney in general and the lower north shore in particular.”

According to the Mosman Daily, earlier in April the association met with a State Government committee, where it presented its detailed plans for the publicly held land that lies beside the railway. If the project goes ahead, the park would be operated by North Sydney Council.

Proposed ramp access from Harbourview Crescent. Image: Sydney Harbour High Line

The heritage-listed rail line is not used for a passenger service, but is used by Sydney Trains for driver training. The site is significant due to its connection to artist Brett Whiteley, who famously painted scenes of Sydney Harbour from his home in Lavender Bay, adjacent to the railway tracks, as well as the “secret garden” created by Brett’s former wife Wendy. The Whiteleys’ house and garden were both recently added to the state heritage register.

Local state MP Felicity Wilson, who supports the project, told the Mosman Daily that she had “secured an agreement from Sydney Trains to explore the feasibility of installing a segregated walking track alongside the current active line.” The proposal is inspired by and takes its name from the High Line in New York City, an elevated railway conversion designed by Diller Scofidio and Renfro. This was in turn inspired by the first rail park, the Coulée verte René-Dumontin in Paris, which opened in 1993.

Originally Published by ArchitectureAU, continue reading here.

Q&A With Project Seabin Co-Founder Pete Ceglinski

After seeing one too many pieces of plastic in the ocean, two avid surfers decided to do something about it, creating a “Seabin” that would collect trash, oil, fuel and detergents from the water.

We had the opportunity to chat with co founder and CEO Pete Ceglinski about the Seabin Project and the ultimate goal of pollution free oceans for future generations.

Q: How did the idea for Seabin Project come about?

A: It came about from being sick of seeing floating debris in the water of marinas around the world. We needed a practical solution that was based upstream so we could catch the litter before it went out to sea and into our oceans.

Q: How does the Seabin work?

A: It is very simple, the Seabin is attached to the floating dock and then it simply draws in water from the surface, and we then pump it out the bottom of the Seabin. As the water passes through the filter, it traps all the plastics, and litter. We are also catching surface oils with the addition of a very simple oil filter.

Pete Ceglinski

For myself and the team at Seabin, its very important to point out that Seabin’s will not fix our ocean plastics problem nor will the technology stop people from littering. We have decided to focus on a “whole solution” strategy where we have created Educational and Scientific programs combined with technology and community events.

Q: Why don’t fish and sea life get caught in the Seabins?

A: There is a possibility of marine life being pulled into the Seabin, but it is a very rare occurrence. If any fish did get pulled into the Seabin, they are normally alive as the filter is submerged in water and can be thrown back into the water. The fish tend to stay away from the surface of the water and seem to sense the current of the water near the Seabin.

Q: How much rubbish can one Seabin hold?

A: Each catch bag can hold 20Kgs of debris, the catch bag can be changed as needed and it is possible to capture up to 120Kgs of debris per day. The Seabin was designed for ergonomics of one person holding a catch bag by their side. If we go any larger then we need to reassess how the catch bag will be changed.

Q: How long do Seabins last?

Image: Instagram (@seabin_project)

A: The warranty is for two years but we are looking at a 3-5 year or more life span. The materials are extremely robust and 100% reyclable

Q: Who should be investing in Seabins?

A: Everyone! Haha, just kidding. Not everyone can buy a Seabin as they are designed for Ports, Marinas and Yacht clubs. These are our main clients. However, we have created a crowdfunding kit where its possible for people to raise money to donate a Seabin to a local marina.

Q: The Seabins have hit Australian shores – where can we expect to see them?

A: We have two demonstration purpose Seabins arriving this month and are in the process of setting up events in Australias major cities with marina access. We will be inviting everyone to come see them in action around June. The commercial Seabins should be available around Sept – Oct this year. We have some delays as the certification process is a lot more detailed than Europe and other countries.

Find out more about Seabin Project at seabinproject.com. 

Interested in sustainability projects going on around Australia?

The 2018 Liveable Cities Conference is heading to Melbourne this July.

Over two days, listen to and be inspired by presenters from varied disciplines who continue to explore the liveability of our metropolitan and regional urban centres.

Find out more here

 

How Sustainable Is IKEA, Really?

IKEA is a Swedish-founded, Dutch-based global retail behemoth. Offering low-cost, visually appealing furniture in well-designed highly-coordinated warehouse spaces, it’s little wonder IKEA is the world’s largest furniture retailer and has been for the last decade.

In recent years, the company has put sustainability front and centre, releasing its ‘People & Planet Positive‘ roadmap, a document outlining its 2020 sustainability strategy. Some of the objectives outlined in the report include:

  • sourcing 100% of its wood, paper and cardboard from more sustainable sources, defined as recycled or FSC® certified wood
  • using cotton sourced from “more sustainable” sources, such as “Better Cotton“
  • that 90% of products will be more sustainable with substantiated environmental improvements
  • that as a global business it produces as much renewable energy as it consumes.

With over 400 stores worldwide, roughly 170,000 employees, 915 million customers each year and sales revenue exceeding EUR 34.2 billion (in FY2016 this equated to USD $37.6 billion), we wonder: Good intentions aside, can IKEA ever be sustainable?

First, some background.

IKEA was founded in 1943 by Swedish entrepreneur Ingvar Kamprad who, at 17-years-old and after receiving money from his father for academic performance, launches the retail business. According to the historical timeline on the IKEA website, the business initially sold consumer products such as pens, wallets and jewellery. Five years later, Kamprad makes the historic decision to include furniture in the range and several years later, published the now-iconic IKEA catalogue. He would later open a showroom in Älmhult, Sweden allowing customers to experience the well-designed low-cost furnishings for themselves. Not long after, the business begins to design and make their own furniture, due in large to risks of supplier boycotts. After an employee removes legs off of a piece of furniture to fit into a car, the concept of the flat pack and self-assembled furniture was born. From here, the rest, as they say, is history.

“The name IKEA is formed from the founder’s initials (I.K.) plus the first letters of Elmtaryd (E) and Agunnaryd (A), the farm and village where [Ingvar Kamprad] grew up. IKEA originally sells pens, wallets, picture frames, table runners, watches, jewellery and nylon stockings – meeting needs with products at reduced prices… ” it states on IKEA’s website. 

Now a couple of years ago, I received an email from a PR agency working with IKEA Australia on an influencer program, known as IKEA Kollectively. It’s a nice feeling whenever a well-known company reaches out, but my mind is always on the job even when my ego is being stroked. My reply to Sophie the PR consultant was honest and direct (surprise, surprise):

Hi Sophie,

I had a look at the info you sent and of course had to do my own research.

Here’s where I am at:

On the one hand I like that IKEA’s items are affordable and that individual items can be replaced if broken etc. I like that there is a minimalistic nature of the pieces and that many really are well-designed and timeless.

On the other hand, my own experience with the furniture… means I was unhappy with the quality. I tend to be the type that focus on individual items and the uniqueness of a piece. This is not something IKEA is known for. It is, shall we say, mass produced. Something that does not gel with my idea of “slow” living.

So having said this, I am still happy to be a part of the influencer partnership as I know that I have the freedom to select pieces that I like. Now just so you know I am also extremely honest in my appraisals of businesses. It is a part of EWP mission: to be a part of conversations that are substantial and not just gloss over like a badly written advertorial.

So, while I might applaud some aspects of a brand/business/product/service, as a person who highly values critical thinking, I am also unafraid to condemn and criticise.

If this is okay by IKEA, then we can move forward ?

Of course, Sophie was really understanding of my position and thought that it would be better if we worked together on an ad-hoc basis where they “could tap into sustainable stories and issues that [I’m] passionate about”.

For reasons I can’t put my finger on now, we never did end up working together.

IKEA: The McDonalds of the furniture world?

At the National Sustainability in Business Conference, I had the good fortune to catch IKEA Australia’s Sustainability Manager Dr Kate Ringvall’s presentation. Her passion and enthusiasm for her employer was evident: “Having spent many years in government, I finally found a place where my value set is met and IKEA is meeting those every day,” she shares with the audience made up of over a hundred of Australia’s sustainability thought leaders. She explains that sustainability is at the centre of IKEA’s business strategy and that it informs how the business designs and makes their products:

“At IKEA we make products with sustainability at their heart and we sell at a price that puts them well within the reach of the many people, and that’s really one of our goals. We call this ‘democratic design’, it’s that clever combination of form, function, quality and sustainability all at a low price, and it helps all of us, including our co-workers, live a more sustainable life at home.”

After listening to her brilliant talk and reading IKEA’s People & Planet Positive strategy, I come to the conclusion that as far as big businesses go, their sustainability mission seems genuine enough. But one thought still niggled at me:

Can a company that relies on a low-cost, high-volume business model that encourages mass-consumption ever be sustainable?

Critics are sceptical of IKEA’s sustainability commitment, pointing out that IKEA produces fast furniture that is inferior quality and that the low prices encourage impulse purchasing and disposability. Ellen Rupell Shell, author of the book,“Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture” writes: “IKEA designs to price, challenging its talented European team to create ever-cheaper objects, and its suppliers—most of them in low-wage countries in Asia and eastern Europe—to squeeze out the lowest possible price.”

It’s easy to see IKEA as the McDonalds of the furniture world. Even if thedemocratic design process is slow (five years of designing, trialling and testing according to Dr Kate Ringvall), its production system is scarily efficient. The assumption that people value their IKEA furniture less because it’s inexpensive may be true, but the idea of someone actually disposing of furniture the way they dump fast fashion seems somewhat far-fetched. The furniture may be mass-produced and cheap, but it’s definitely not $10 t-shirt cheap. It’s more likely that the furniture is fixed if broken, donated or sold on, not dumped in the trash. Anecdotally, an IKEA bookshelf that was painstakingly self-assembled (by my ex, not me), purchased 12 years ago, now sits in my sister’s home office, still in great condition and still in vogue. Fast furniture describes the manufacture, not necessarily consumer behaviour.

IKEA’s home decor products are, of course, another story. It’s easy to imagine these items – picture frames, bath mats, vases – being tossed out in the weekly garbage after breaking. It’s easier to replace than fix many of these cheap goods.

After listening to her brilliant talk and reading IKEA’s People & Planet Positive strategy, I come to the conclusion that as far as big businesses go, their sustainability mission seems genuine enough. But one thought still niggled at me:

Can a company that relies on a low-cost, high-volume business model that encourages mass-consumption ever be sustainable?

Critics are sceptical of IKEA’s sustainability commitment, pointing out that IKEA produces fast furniture that is inferior quality and that the low prices encourage impulse purchasing and disposability. Ellen Rupell Shell, author of the book,“Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture” writes: “IKEA designs to price, challenging its talented European team to create ever-cheaper objects, and its suppliers—most of them in low-wage countries in Asia and eastern Europe—to squeeze out the lowest possible price.”

It’s easy to see IKEA as the McDonalds of the furniture world. Even if thedemocratic design process is slow (five years of designing, trialling and testing according to Dr Kate Ringvall), its production system is scarily efficient. The assumption that people value their IKEA furniture less because it’s inexpensive may be true, but the idea of someone actually disposing of furniture the way they dump fast fashion seems somewhat far-fetched. The furniture may be mass-produced and cheap, but it’s definitely not $10 t-shirt cheap. It’s more likely that the furniture is fixed if broken, donated or sold on, not dumped in the trash. Anecdotally, an IKEA bookshelf that was painstakingly self-assembled (by my ex, not me), purchased 12 years ago, now sits in my sister’s home office, still in great condition and still in vogue. Fast furniture describes the manufacture, not necessarily consumer behaviour.

IKEA’s home decor products are, of course, another story. It’s easy to imagine these items – picture frames, bath mats, vases – being tossed out in the weekly garbage after breaking. It’s easier to replace than fix many of these cheap goods.

This excerpt was republished with permission from Eco Warrior Princess. Read the original entire article here.

Jennifer Nini (AKA Eco Warrior Princess) attended the 2018 National Sustainability in Business Conference on the 8-9th March in Brisbane where Dr Kate Ringvall, Sustainability Manager at IKEA Australia was a Keynote Speaker.

Announcements regarding the 2019 National Sustainability Conference will be released shortly. 

Click here to be kept in the loop.