Posted in Corporate Responsability

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

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.

Rethink! Addressing the global consequences of urbanisation in Cities

By the end of the 21st century 85% of our global population will be living in cities. By then cities as we know it today have ceased to exist. The majority of humans would have organized themselves into Megacities and Super Urban Conglomerates of 40 million people or more and Megacities would have replaced nations and became self supportive as economic drivers and engines for growth and compete at a global level for resources, top talents and businesses. This urbanization trend would be exclusively for the new and upcoming global economy. However we are under threat of over stressing our global environment put in place by the general ignorance that resulted into over-consumption, environmental degradation and destruction, pollution and resource depletion.

The 21st century now gives us the opportunity to use the urbanization trend and address the human inflicted calamities and stress put on to our global environment during the 20th century and reverse and reset the global environmental imbalances. Megacities and Super Urban Corridors clearly behold the opportunity and in their drive to attract top talents and businesses and operating in a stressed and scarce natural resources environment. Megacities and urban areas in general will demand new performance specifications, design parameters and conventions to create highly efficient community support structures and address all pertinent environmental issues and embed long terms solutions.

My presentation will be outlined the thoughts, principles and ideas that have formed the baseline of our current thinking and summarizes the key trends and a kaleidoscope of opportunities, ideas plus potential solutions. We recognize that there will be no single answer or a single solution other than we have to Rethink! our cities now.

Robbert van Nouhuys
Director ACLA, Hong Kong

Association for Sustainability in Business 2011 Conference
“Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation” Gold Coast Australia, September 2011

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.