Postcard from the Edge

How do we promote sustainability when:

• The Commonwealth Government announces it will not commit to its own reduction target for greenhouse emissions if the sums don't add up.
• Australia's independent agency for providing advice on climate change issues is abolished to save $1.8 million dollars.
• Australia's agency for providing clean energy loans is told by its Minister to stop doing so, in apparent contravention of its own legislation.
• Powers concerning protection of World Heritage, National Heritage, Wetlands of International Importance, listed threatened species and ecological communities, listed migratory species, nuclear actions, the marine environment will no longer be controlled by the Commonwealth but will be given to the States.
• The Industry Minister describes opponents of coal seam gas mining as "noisy protesters, minority groups, with no interest in the economic progress of agriculture and mining together.''

Let's face it, the current Australian political climate is not encouraging anyone to undertake sustainability activities. Can sustainability operate in a policy vacuum? Where do we find the incentive to act?

The forthcoming International Panel on Climate Change report may provide that incentive. But will we see more misinformation from sectors of the media and more silence from the Government who could take the trouble to correct it?

Thank goodness for the Australian public who have crowdfunded the former Climate Commission to reinvent itself as the Climate Council, and provide an independent voice on climate science.

Sustainability managers can take inspiration from this development, but don't expect the next few years to be easy.

 

10 things that would make sustainability reporting easier

It's that time of year again....

I am reporting on my  organisation's sustainability performance. Actually I am probably a bit late but never mind, at least I am doing it!

The exercise has caused me to reflect on why it is so hard to report on sustainability. Here are my 10 wishes to make sustainability reporting simpler:

1. If suppliers reported their quantities in a uniform measure. Why does our paper supplier give us a report which switches from boxes to reams and back again?

2. If someone would publish a standard for the amount of CO2 generated by using  different grades of paper.

3. If suppliers would just all either stick to reporting on the financial year or the calendar year.

4. If suppliers who claim that the waste they collect did not go to landfill actually identified where it did go  (I'm a suspicious sustainability reporter).

5. If my organisation arranged things so that the same person was responsible for electricity, paper, water, waste, travel and procurement. Then I would not have to hassle so many people.

6. If I was actually any good at using Excel. I suck.

7. If suppliers would actually take the initiative and send us the reports every quarter, instead of waiting for us to chase them.

8. If the manual for the web tool actually bore any resemblance to the web tool itself. I think they hve given me the manual for a totally different program.

9. If the organisation actually appreciated how much work goes into doing the report and expressed some gratitude.

10. If someone would respond to this blog and share the pain.