Frouke de Reuver notes by Frayne Dyke-Walker
Click her to view Frouke de Reuver’s Presentation
MC – Gavin McConnell opened the event posing the question:
‘Is Global Warming a Local or Global, Personal or Corporate (including Government) issue?’
The resulting challenges are ethically, politically, threateningly diverse. . . affecting; health, economies, security, communities with the change in comfort levels, income and fear – Not only of change, but of the unknown. And a lot of people just can’t, won’t, or are too frightened, or even feeling too powerless to even attempt to do anything let alone start making the sorts of sacrifices we need to right now.
So where does that leave us? Let’s strip it down – make it a personal journey and as simple as possible to make a start . . . which segued neatly into Frouke de Reuver’s talk.
Ms de Reuver is from the Dept of Environment and Climate Change where she manages the Business Partnerships Project Development. It has been set up to work with medium to large businesses to find ways of making their business models more sustainable.
Ms de Reuver briefly summarised the Climate Change issues:
- Since 1950 there has been .9 degree rise in mean average temperatures in Australia so far
- Further increase has potential to affect a large portion of the population especially those living in our urban coastal society.
- Climate change is going to affect the global economies through: tourism, agriculture, food production, energy, insurance, disruption to business, transport etc
- In turn this will foment social unrest, political problems locally and externally
- Already we have seen significant problems resulting from extreme weather incidents in the Asia Pacific
- As well as the incremental effects of rising sea levels on several Pacific Islands
It’s just not scientists and Gen Y worried about Climate Change, it became one of the leading issues in our recent federal election. People are wanting to know where their food is coming from – if their timber for their houses is coming from a sustainable source – wanting to install rainwater tanks – plant veggie gardens. They want to work for companies that are environmentally ethical organisations. They understand that it will protect jobs and economical management issues sooner by being a part of the solution and not contributing to the problem.
Big business is paying attention – Michael Hawker – CEO of Insurance Australia Group is just one of a range of medium to large companies that is working with Ms de Reuver at the DECC. (My extrapolation of that is; if the actuaries are worried – it’s time for everyone to pay more than passing attention to the wording in their policies)
Research from an on going survey program has now placed Climate Change issues as a huge 30% of concerns along with Heath, Public Transport and Education.
The work at the DECC Business Partnership Program is looking at;
- Efficiency -
- Risk Management – for business sectors
- Image
- New business opportunities as well as connecting with other businesses to facilitate a more sustainable outcome.
The waste from one business can be a resource for another.
Through applying planning and design, looking at products, transport issues, waste, supply chain sectors, compliance with standards and codes of practice, and monitoring and then continuing analysis and review as fresh information comes to light, an action plan can be implemented.
Typically a Green House Gas Action Plan looks at:
- Avoid where possible (creating or generating GHGs)
- Reduce – the intensity of activity
- Capture/Destroy – collect emissions
- Offset – tree planting
DECC is endorsing programs;
- where equipment not in use, is turned off and not left on standby – in the home and in business (shutting down of production lines)
- making sure if a room is not in use – no energy is being used eg. aircon and lighting
- walking or riding to work, using public transport
- purchase locally produced products
- avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle
- teleconference rather than air travel, telecommuting
- using renewable energy
- building and retrofitting buildings to make them smart – sustainable – green – adaptable – healthy – fuel efficient vehicles
They are doing this through the Green Business Funding Program by providing:
- research and results of trials into recycled products
- guides, education and training (at this stage for med/large businesses and local government)
- looking at common work areas, environmental planning, staff training, supply chain, energy water consumption, trade waste recycling etc
- forward business planning – threats & opportunities
- resource & energy audits resulting in improvements in steam management, saving energy & water
- so far 190 companies with 18 from the ASX have participated so far
- including a range from the building, poultry, metal manufacturing industries to TAFES & Unis, even aged care facilities.
The DECC are currently designing a web based self assessment tool for more sectors of industry to help build a path to a more sustainable business
Ms de Reuver closed her session with a list of resources that are available on the DECC website through the NSW Green Business Program
along with the Choice article about Green Power
and Marrickville Councils Recycling Supply Chain Links
That was great information. You have done a wonderful job communicating your message. Keep up the good writing.
We must use more recycled products in order for us to reduce the garbabe problem that we have-:-