Home Archive by category "Economic Sustainability" (Page 2)

Category Archives: Economic Sustainability

Westpac: We’re back! …with an $8 billion commitment to sustainability

By Tina Perinotto 19 February 2013 – Westpac last night (Monday) launched a dramatic new sustainability strategy it says will be worth $8 billion over the next five years, doubling its investments in clean technology, environmental services and including $2 billion for social and affordable housing. The announcement signals that for corporate Australia, sustainability is now firmly back on the agenda, after slipping from the radar last year. The package will include lending and investment for renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, waste, water, carbon farming and sustainable forestry activities and land rehabilitation. “For an activity to be deemed ‘green’ …

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Cost Effective Sustainability Through The Value Chain

By Lindsey Nelson, Published August 27, 2012 Being a green enterprise is not a cheap undertaking, but lots of companies and NGOs are looking for ways to make their value chain (supply chain, distributors, partner org’s, etc.) more sustainable. And according to a recent Forbes article, the businesses supply chain is where the ROI on sustainability shows its benefits in triple digits. In an effort to understand in-depth what makes a value chain sustainable, Forbes.com partnered with ASQ, The Institute for Supply Management, and Deloitte on a multi-year research study aimed at identifying demonstrated management practices and cost saving approaches. …

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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 …

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Sustainability leadership- what does it really mean to staff and organisations?

By Ms Tania Crosbie, Director, Sustainability at Work Almost 70% of Australian workers believe that it is important for their organisations to behave in a sustainable way*. And they are looking to their senior managers to lead real change. So what does sustainability leadership really mean to staff and organisations? Sustainability at Work believes that understanding current attitudes and behaviours towards sustainability in both the workplace and at home can provide insights and a platform for organisations to promote positive sustainable behavior within organisations. A national study of more than 1,000 Australian workers found that overwhelmingly, Australians believe that change …

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Sustainability Drives Competitive Advantage in Food Industry Supply Chain · Environmental Management & Energy News · Environmental Leader

Parents – mainly mothers – determine most household food purchases. Questions race through their minds as they navigate the labyrinth of products, packaging and prices. Is this healthy for my family? Will my family like this? How much time will it take to prepare? Can I afford it? How will it impact the future of my children, my family, my planet? The food industry supply chain wrestles with a similarly lengthy list of concerns when gauging the value shoppers place on the answers to those questions… more Sustainability Drives Competitive Advantage in Food Industry Supply Chain · Environmental Management & …

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The Business of Sustainability – The Conference 2012

The Association for Business Sustainability conference ‘Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation” will be held on the 21st and 22nd May 2012 at the Radisson Resort, Gold Coast. The conference will include case studies, keynote presentations, concurrent sessions and workshops.   You will Learn about governments’ sustainability plans and the relevant grants available, and find business opportunities and trends in the sector. Topics include; • Sustainable Natural Resource/Water Management • Sustainable and Renewable Energy • Sustainable Waste Management • Sustainable Cities and Building Design • Sustainable Food Production/Security • Sustainable Investment and Finance • Sustainable Leadership – Government and Business • …

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A case study analysis of MCU Sustainable Banking – unique, innovative, competitive, “green” and successfull

The aim of this paper is to present a case study analysis of MCU Sustainable Banking Limited and contribute to the discussion on the importance and effects of various external environmental, social and governance factors on the success of investment institutions.  MCU is an innovative and leading, sustainable, financial institution that exemplifies the phrase “thinking globally, acting locally”.  MCU’s success supports the literature which suggests that corporate social responsibility (CSR) and being “green” are now mainstream and key ingredients in the complex combination of factors that contribute to the economic success and overall sustainability of financial institutions. Dr Gayle Mayes, …

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Present at the Sustainability Business Conference in September 2011

The “Taking Care of Business: Sustainable Transformation” conference wil be held on the 15th & 16th September 2011 at the Radisson Resort, Gold Coast, Australia. If you would like to speak at the conference you have until the 15th of June 2011 to submit an abstract of your presentation here. Confirmed speakers include: Hon Kate Jones MP, Minister for Environment and Resource Management, Queensland Government, to open conference. Murray Hogarth, Director, The 3rd Degree, is a business environmentalist.  He advises corporate, government and community clients on climate and sustainability strategy and communications. Gary Horsfield, Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain …

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Can Tourism Operators Manage Water Sustainably?

The relationship that water has with the tourism sector is complex. While the UNWTO has recognised that water is an essential component of tourism, the problem of overuse has also been highlighted as worldwide fresh water resources become scarcer. The challenge for sustainable water management exists in many parts of the world and is no longer confined to arid destinations, high volume tourism destinations or developing nations. A significant portion of the water use in the tourism sector is associated with accommodation and hospitality. Responsibility for the way that water is used in accommodation venues is vested in both the …

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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 …

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