Even during an economic slowdown, innovators will rise to the occasion. A bakery in Victoria, Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses, is doing just that as my colleague Craig Beaver has recently uncovered in a recent article in Manufacturing Supply Chain Magazine.
Savings on carbon emissions by the company demonstrated that by some fairly straight forward engineering delivered landfill, gas and electricity emissions reductions of 92, 76 and 62%, respectively, along with water savings of 2.5Ml per annum. This led to an overall reduction of more than 5000 CO2e annually and tens of thousands of dollars in cost savings, a strong business improvement in itself.
But what caught my eye was the story around how the improved safety culture of the bakery was reducing bottom line costs, and well below its industry peers. The company has demonstrated a strong correlation between sustainability effort and performance, and its safety metrics. For example, during the transformation to a sustainability–focused business, turnover reduced from 10% to 2 % per annum, incidents reduced by 58% from 33 to 14 per annum, and near misses decreased from 29 to 21 per annum.
As Craig illustrates, aside from the impact of carbon emissions and energy savings, it’s worth taking a deeper look at the impact of their sustainable business practices on their health and safety performance.
As a simple exercise:
They employ 150 people.
Assume average salary of $75,000 per annum.
Total wages bill equals $11,250,000 per annum.
Industry average worker’s compensation premium for their sector is 3.8860% of payroll.
Therefore their worker’s compensation premium should have been $437,175 per annum.
The really interesting piece here from a HSE perspective, is concurrent with their sustainability program, Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses have achieved significant improvements in their safety performance, such that their worker’s compensation premium is 1.8394% of their payroll – almost half the industry average!
Therefore their estimated workers compensation premium is in fact $206,932 per annum.
This equates to an estimated saving of $230,243 per annum.
As Craig points out, this is on top of all the financial returns from their other sustainability initiatives documented in the article.
This company is no stranger to those of you working in sustainability. Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses clearly have the ingredients for success as a sustainable business, taking the principles of sustainable development and mixing them into their every day work.
How to create a Circular IT Economy with your old IT assetsSteven Coates
A simple technology disposal project can be transformed into a Circular IT Economy by delivering three elements:
1. First you must have a secure delivery mechanism
2. Second you must be able to minimise the impact on the environment.
3. Finally you must be able to maximise the benefit to society.
ICTR has developed a unique solution to do this and has officially been named as the most secure IT disposal company in the UK by ADISA.
How to create a Circular IT Economy with your old IT assetsSteven Coates
A simple technology disposal project can be transformed into a Circular IT Economy by delivering three elements:
1. First you must have a secure delivery mechanism
2. Second you must be able to minimise the impact on the environment.
3. Finally you must be able to maximise the benefit to society.
ICTR has developed a unique solution to do this and has officially been named as the most secure IT disposal company in the UK by ADISA.
Center For Socially Responsible Business, Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, Mills College, presents: Bonnie Nixon-Gardiner, Director of Ethical Sourcing for Hewlett-Packard lecturing on:
“From Green to Gold: HP’s Social and Environmental Sustainability Program”
Blueprint for green business final 042210guest6d71a4d
RMT, Inc. and Vollrath Associates discuss how your company can become sustainable and how to market and communicate those green initiatives.
Blueprint for Green Business - Earth Day - April 22, 2010
Kingspan john shaw_energyefficencyanddigitalJohn Shaw
Kingspan's Digital Approach to Carbon Neutrality.
On Tuesday 23 September 2014, spoke at a Conference in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on Energy Efficiency. The event was hosted by ISO50001 Ireland and was well-attended by organisations seeking Carbon Neutrality.
Slide-deck focused on how Kingspan has digitised the challenge by collaborating with Intel and Microsoft. Availing of 8 Kingspan products, Kingspan's Head Office and Innovation Centre are now Carbon Negative.
The report documents ELCC’s experience in developing and implementing a comprehensive plan of action to go green to help frame best practices in this area and spread it allover the industry.
A presentation emphasizing the need to focus on skill development in occupations that people have already trained in rather than relying on the creation of new green jobs.
Center For Socially Responsible Business, Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, Mills College, presents: Bonnie Nixon-Gardiner, Director of Ethical Sourcing for Hewlett-Packard lecturing on:
“From Green to Gold: HP’s Social and Environmental Sustainability Program”
Blueprint for green business final 042210guest6d71a4d
RMT, Inc. and Vollrath Associates discuss how your company can become sustainable and how to market and communicate those green initiatives.
Blueprint for Green Business - Earth Day - April 22, 2010
Kingspan john shaw_energyefficencyanddigitalJohn Shaw
Kingspan's Digital Approach to Carbon Neutrality.
On Tuesday 23 September 2014, spoke at a Conference in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on Energy Efficiency. The event was hosted by ISO50001 Ireland and was well-attended by organisations seeking Carbon Neutrality.
Slide-deck focused on how Kingspan has digitised the challenge by collaborating with Intel and Microsoft. Availing of 8 Kingspan products, Kingspan's Head Office and Innovation Centre are now Carbon Negative.
The report documents ELCC’s experience in developing and implementing a comprehensive plan of action to go green to help frame best practices in this area and spread it allover the industry.
A presentation emphasizing the need to focus on skill development in occupations that people have already trained in rather than relying on the creation of new green jobs.
An Assessment and Ranking of Barriers to Doing Environmental Business with Ch...Turlough Guerin GAICD FGIA
The transfer of environmental goods and services to China will increasingly be of importance to developed nations as the demand for the environmental management increases in China. A review of the literature on technology transfer to China revealed a range of well recognised and commonly known constraints to transferring technologies to China. There were gaps in the literature in relation to the concerns that environmental professionals have regarding technology transfer to China as limited information on the transfer in environmental goods and services to China. A survey of the non-trade barriers and their practical impact on the transfer of environmental technologies and goods and services to China, focusing on Australian suppliers was undertaken to address these gaps. The survey, which was developed from barriers to technology transfer already described in the extensive research addressing the wider issues of technology transfer to China, targeted environmental professionals but also included other professionals with interests in transferring environmental goods and services to China. From the survey, the highest priority barriers to transferring environmental goods and service to China were identified and those which are most likely to limit Australian vendors of environmental goods and services in their technology transfers to China, were protection of intellectual property (IP), limitations of the rule of law, fragmentation and bureaucracy of the Chinese government; and establishing appropriate level of ownership (of environmental goods and services providers in China). Examples of Australian experience were also examined, which confirmed these barriers to providing the needed technology and innovation to manage China’s increasing environmental impacts. The research also shows that the barriers identified do not appear to be unique to transfer of environmental goods and services but rather generic to the transfer and adoption of Australian technology into China.
ERIKS Know+How Issue 23, Energy ConservationERIKS UK
Covering the latest news, industry developments and technologies, this edition of Know+How focuses on one of the hottest topics in the maintenance world: Energy Conservation
For the global sustainability community,
the most effective catalyst of change
has long been seen as the informed
self-interest of the mainstream financial
community: if banks and investors
could be convinced of the proximity of
environmental risk or societal impacts,
then it has been assumed that capital
diverted from ‘unsustainable’ practices
would render all other interventions
unnecessary. In practice though, the
sustainability community has found
the financial sector a hard nut to crack.
Although recent years have seen a
substantial increase in the integration of
environmental, social and governance
(ESG) data forming part of investment
analysis, the continued emphasis on shortterm
results and incentives has pushed
longer-term environmental risks, such as
climate change, outside of the boundary
of risks contemplated by mainstream
analysts. That is, until recently.
Plastics to oil report, Waste recycling machine defines an environmental equiment that waste rubber tyres , waste
plastics , waste oil(waste crude oil,waste diesel,waste oil,waste slag etc.), waste cable are heated
and pyrolysis, finally distillate the oil gas,and then cooled to the oil through the condensers as well
as the carbon black and steel wire.
Business guide on carbon emission redution and sustainabilityBarney Loehnis
Guide on how businesses can reduce their carbon footprint, with a focus on Asia and Hong Kong, but broadly relevant for any global brand.
The guide was developed by contributions from Cathay Pacific, HSBC, Hang Seng, Hang Lung, Hong Kong Land, OSBC, Bank of East Asia (BEA), Aegis, MTR Corporation, Sino Group, Standard Chartered, Gammon Hong Kong Electric, China Light and Power (CLP), OOCL, PCCW, DTZ, Town Gas and Swire Pacific
GreenBiz 16 Workshop Slides: "Closing the Loop to Advance a New Economy"GreenBiz Group
Slides for "Closing the Loop to Advance a New Economy". With the take-make-waste linear model no longer viable, companies are actively pursuing alternative models such as the circular economy, which has captured the imagination of the private sector as a viable approach for decoupling economic growth from resource constraints. The circular economy, an industrial model that is restorative or regenerative by design and intent, aims to keep products, components, and materials at their highest utility at all times, and represents an opportunity worth in excess of $1 trillion for the global economy. In this session, we will explore how companies can leverage circular economy principles and best practices to help eliminate waste throughout the value chain and improve the bottom line.
The Circular Economy Handbook shows how companies are taking transformative steps toward circularity, creating new opportunities for competitiveness. Read more. https://accntu.re/36AfPX6
Sustainable Times Issue 7
According to Kyocera’s latest Sustainability survey, office
workers printed 40% fewer pages last year – the first fall
since the survey began in 2007. This is impressive, but not
unexpected: indeed, it’s more surprising that this is the first time a fall has been registered.
this issue.
Climate Governance Initiative Australia
The AICD is the host of the Climate Governance
Initiative Australia which assists in supporting
our members in meeting the challenges and
opportunities of governing climate change risk.
As host of the Australian Chapter of the Climate
Governance Initiative, our members have
access to a global network of experts in risk
and resilience and to non-executive directors
who are leading their organisations’ governance
response to climate change.
The Climate Governance Initiative (CGI) is an
active and rapidly expanding network of over
20 bodies globally, whose Chapters promote the
World Economic Forum Climate Governance
Principles for boards and effective climate
governance within their jurisdictions. The
principles are set out in Appendix 2 of this guide.
The principles support directors to gain
awareness, embed climate considerations into
board decision making, and understand and act
upon the risks and opportunities that climate
change poses to their organisations.
CGI chapters have already been established
in many comparable countries, including the
UK, US (hosted by the National Association of
Corporate Directors), Canada (hosted by the
Institute of Corporate Directors) and France.
Australian Bushfire
and Climate Plan
Final report of the National Bushfire and Climate Summit 2020
The severity and scale of Australian bushfires
is escalating
Australia’s Black Summer fires over 2019 and 2020
were unprecedented in scale and levels of destruction.
Fuelled by climate change, the hottest and driest year
ever recorded resulted in fires that burned through land
two-and-a-half times the size of Tasmania (more than 17
million hectares), killed more than a billion animals, and
affected nearly 80 percent of Australians. This included
the tragic loss of over 450 lives from the fires and
smoke, more than 3,000 homes were destroyed, and
thousands of other buildings.
While unprecedented, this tragedy was not
unforeseen, nor unexpected. For decades climate
scientists have warned of an increase in climaterelated disasters, including longer and more
dangerous bushfire seasons, which have become
directly observable over the last 20 years. Extremely
hot, dry conditions, underpinned by years of reduced
rainfall and a severe drought, set the scene for the
Black Summer crisis.
Recommendations - The 3 Rs - Response,
Readiness and Recovery
There is no doubt that bushfires in Australia have
become more frequent, ferocious and unpredictable
with major losses in 2001/02 in NSW, 2003 in the
ACT, 2013 in Tasmania and NSW, 2018 in Queensland,
2009 Black Saturday Fires in Victoria and 2019/20 in
Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia. We are
now in a new era of supercharged bushfire risk, forcing
a fundamental rethink of how we prevent, prepare for,
respond to, and recover from bushfires.
This Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan report
provides a broad plan and practical ideas for
governments, fire and land management agencies
and communities to help us mitigate and adapt to
worsening fire conditions. The 165 recommendations
include many measures that can be implemented right
now, to ensure communities are better protected.
How to work with petroleum hydrocarbon suppliers to reduce and eliminate cont...Turlough Guerin GAICD FGIA
Petroleum hydrocarbon suppliers affect a mine's goals for environmental performance because of the extensive reach of petroleum hydrocarbon products into the mining and minerals product life cycle, their impact on operational efficiencies, cost, and mine viability, and their potential for leaving negative environmental as well as safety legacies. The supplied petroleum hydrocarbon life cycle is a framework that enables structured engagement between supplier and customer on a range of environmental performance issues because it is an example of input into the mining industry that affects the entire mining and minerals processing an value chain. Engagement with suppliers in a proactive manner can be a risk management strategy. Questions for businesses to ask in relation to suppliers and their role in minimizing business risks and creating new value are offered (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rem.21669).
Governments would get bigger bang for taxpayer
buck by instead spending more on upgrading existing infrastructure,
and on social infrastructure such as aged care and mental health care.
Choosing net zero is
an economic necessity
Australia pays a high price of a global failure
to deliver new growth in recovery. Compared
to this dismal future, Deloitte Access Economics
estimates a new growth recovery could
grow Australia’s economy by $680 billion
(present value terms) and increase GDP
by 2.6% in 2070 – adding over 250,000 jobs
to the Australian economy by 2070.
The world of venture capital has seen huge changes over the past decade. Ten years ago there were fewer than
20 known unicorns in the US5
; there are now over 2006
. Annual investment of global venture capital has increased
more than fivefold over the same period, rising to $264 billion by 2019. This investment has been dominated by the
tech sector harnessing digital frontiers to disrupt traditional industries – including cloud computing, mobile apps,
marketplaces, data platforms, machine learning and deep tech.7
It is an ecosystem that acts as the birthplace for
innovation and brands that can shape the future of consumerism, sectors and markets.
As COVID-19 has taken hold of the
world, the question of whether venture
capital, and early stage investing more
broadly, is backing and scaling the
innovations our world really needs has
never been more pertinent. Life science
and biotech investing is an asset class
perhaps most resilient and relevant to
the short-term impact of COVID-19,
but there is another impact-critical
investment area that is emerging as
an increasingly important investment
frontier: climate tech.
This research represents a first-ofits-kind analysis of the state of global
climate tech investing. We define what
it is and show how this new frontier
of venture investing is becoming a
standout investing opportunity for the
2020s. Representing 6% of global
annual venture capital funding in 2019,
our analysis finds this segment has
grown over 3750% in absolute terms
since 2013. This is on the order of 3
times the growth rate of VC investment
into AI, during a time period renowned
for its uptick in AI investment.8
Looking forward can climate tech in the
2020s follow a similar journey to the
artificial intelligence (AI) investing boom
in the 2010s? The substantial rates of
growth seen in climate tech in the late
2010s, and the overarching need for
new transformational solutions across
multiple sectors of the economy,
suggests yes. The stage appears set
for an explosion of climate tech into the
mainstream investment and corporate
landscape in the decade ahead.
Nine shifts will radically change the way construction projects are delivered—and similar
industries have already undergone many of the shifts. A combination of sustainability
requirements, cost pressure, skills scarcity, new materials, industrial approaches, digitalization,
and a new breed of player looks set to transform the value chain. The shifts ahead include
productization and specialization, increased value-chain control, and greater customercentricity
and branding. Consolidation and internationalization will create the scale needed to
allow higher levels of investment in digitalization, R&D and equipment, and sustainability as well
as human capital.
Sustainable Finance Industry Guide
This industry guide provides information about sustainable finance in the built environment in Australia. It is designed to support investor understanding of Australia’s world-class rating tools and standards, and how these can be applied to direct more capital towards sustainable finance for our built environment. Included are insights that reflect lessons learnt when using a rating scheme to establish an investment framework, conduct
due diligence or report on an issuance.
Precincts to Support the Delivery of Zero Energy
This report frames the physical and organisational context for precinct action and identifies potential programs and government solutions that may be applied to better streamline the realisation of precinct-scale action to progress towards zero energy (and carbon) ready residential buildings within both new and existing precincts.
The report was developed based on a literature review and engagement with more than 80 stakeholders from industry, academia and government with the aim of identifying appropriate government action in the form of proposed solutions that may be applicable across Commonwealth, state and territory and/ or local governments.
The report has given focus to opportunities for precincts that are not already considered in the Trajectory to ensure that a wider system response is taken to considering the zero energy (and carbon) ready outcomes being sought.
When seeking funding, environmental and sustainability professionals must clarify how their role and the proposed project fit within the business' strategy.
This article provides a checklist for those seeking funding for sustainability and environmental projects.
The suggested questions will assist non-executive directors in evaluating sustainability-focused proposals.
Explore our most comprehensive guide on lookback analysis at SafePaaS, covering access governance and how it can transform modern ERP audits. Browse now!
Personal Brand Statement:
As an Army veteran dedicated to lifelong learning, I bring a disciplined, strategic mindset to my pursuits. I am constantly expanding my knowledge to innovate and lead effectively. My journey is driven by a commitment to excellence, and to make a meaningful impact in the world.
Remote sensing and monitoring are changing the mining industry for the better. These are providing innovative solutions to long-standing challenges. Those related to exploration, extraction, and overall environmental management by mining technology companies Odisha. These technologies make use of satellite imaging, aerial photography and sensors to collect data that might be inaccessible or from hazardous locations. With the use of this technology, mining operations are becoming increasingly efficient. Let us gain more insight into the key aspects associated with remote sensing and monitoring when it comes to mining.
RMD24 | Retail media: hoe zet je dit in als je geen AH of Unilever bent? Heid...BBPMedia1
Grote partijen zijn al een tijdje onderweg met retail media. Ondertussen worden in dit domein ook de kansen zichtbaar voor andere spelers in de markt. Maar met die kansen ontstaan ook vragen: Zelf retail media worden of erop adverteren? In welke fase van de funnel past het en hoe integreer je het in een mediaplan? Wat is nu precies het verschil met marketplaces en Programmatic ads? In dit half uur beslechten we de dilemma's en krijg je antwoorden op wanneer het voor jou tijd is om de volgende stap te zetten.
As a business owner in Delaware, staying on top of your tax obligations is paramount, especially with the annual deadline for Delaware Franchise Tax looming on March 1. One such obligation is the annual Delaware Franchise Tax, which serves as a crucial requirement for maintaining your company’s legal standing within the state. While the prospect of handling tax matters may seem daunting, rest assured that the process can be straightforward with the right guidance. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of filing your Delaware Franchise Tax and provide insights to help you navigate the process effectively.
The world of search engine optimization (SEO) is buzzing with discussions after Google confirmed that around 2,500 leaked internal documents related to its Search feature are indeed authentic. The revelation has sparked significant concerns within the SEO community. The leaked documents were initially reported by SEO experts Rand Fishkin and Mike King, igniting widespread analysis and discourse. For More Info:- https://news.arihantwebtech.com/search-disrupted-googles-leaked-documents-rock-the-seo-world/
What is the TDS Return Filing Due Date for FY 2024-25.pdfseoforlegalpillers
It is crucial for the taxpayers to understand about the TDS Return Filing Due Date, so that they can fulfill your TDS obligations efficiently. Taxpayers can avoid penalties by sticking to the deadlines and by accurate filing of TDS. Timely filing of TDS will make sure about the availability of tax credits. You can also seek the professional guidance of experts like Legal Pillers for timely filing of the TDS Return.
Unveiling the Secrets How Does Generative AI Work.pdfSam H
At its core, generative artificial intelligence relies on the concept of generative models, which serve as engines that churn out entirely new data resembling their training data. It is like a sculptor who has studied so many forms found in nature and then uses this knowledge to create sculptures from his imagination that have never been seen before anywhere else. If taken to cyberspace, gans work almost the same way.
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3.0 Project 2_ Developing My Brand Identity Kit.pptxtanyjahb
A personal brand exploration presentation summarizes an individual's unique qualities and goals, covering strengths, values, passions, and target audience. It helps individuals understand what makes them stand out, their desired image, and how they aim to achieve it.
[Note: This is a partial preview. To download this presentation, visit:
https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations]
Sustainability has become an increasingly critical topic as the world recognizes the need to protect our planet and its resources for future generations. Sustainability means meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It involves long-term planning and consideration of the consequences of our actions. The goal is to create strategies that ensure the long-term viability of People, Planet, and Profit.
Leading companies such as Nike, Toyota, and Siemens are prioritizing sustainable innovation in their business models, setting an example for others to follow. In this Sustainability training presentation, you will learn key concepts, principles, and practices of sustainability applicable across industries. This training aims to create awareness and educate employees, senior executives, consultants, and other key stakeholders, including investors, policymakers, and supply chain partners, on the importance and implementation of sustainability.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts that form the foundation of sustainability within corporate environments.
2. Explore the sustainability implementation model, focusing on effective measures and reporting strategies to track and communicate sustainability efforts.
3. Identify and define best practices and critical success factors essential for achieving sustainability goals within organizations.
CONTENTS
1. Introduction and Key Concepts of Sustainability
2. Principles and Practices of Sustainability
3. Measures and Reporting in Sustainability
4. Sustainability Implementation & Best Practices
To download the complete presentation, visit: https://www.oeconsulting.com.sg/training-presentations
Sustainability: Balancing the Environment, Equity & Economy
Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses
1. 38
38
Y
ou just have to mention the word ‘sus-
tainability’ and for many people, their
eyes glaze over. There is too much
emotion and subjectivity around the subject.
Everyone has a different definition and a dif-
ferent point of view, and the politicians aren’t
helping at all, given the way they have politi-
cised the whole debate with continuous scare-
mongering.
The challenge today is to shift the paradigm
from seeing sustainability as a cost of compli-
ance to a return on investment, where the
greater the investment, the greater the return.
When you break the subject of sustainability
down into objective building blocks, you will
see that sustainable manufacturing, sustainable
operations and sustainable supply chain man-
agement is just smart business.
With the ever-rising costs of fundamental inputs
including energy, fuel, raw materials, labour,
waste disposal, etc., it is smart business to:
1. Reduce electricity consumption;
2. Reduce gas consumption;
3. Improve fuel efficiency of vehicles;
4. Reduce water consumption;
5. Reduce landfill and waste disposal costs;
6. Reduce raw material input costs by smarter
product design;
7. Reduce reworking by better quality control;
8. Reduce work-in-progress by better produc-
tion planning;
9. Improve supply chain efficiencies by better
supply planning;
10. Reduce warehousing space by better CPFR;
11. Reduce the inventory holding costs of both
current and obsolete stock by better CPFR;
12. Improve staff productivity;
13. Increase staff retention;
14. Enhance public profile and brand awareness;
… and the list goes on.
Each of these initiatives directly, or indirectly,
reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and in doing
so can be classified as a sustainability initiative.
In the first part of the 20th century, safety
was not a big issue. Now look at the priority
given to safety. There is a whole science around
safety that has delivered significant reductions
in workplace accidents, injuries and fatalities.
In addition to the saving of life and limb, sub-
sequent benefits are the substantial savings in
both the direct and indirect costs of accidents.
Research has shown that these improvements
in safety performance have also led to increased
productivity and greater staff retention.
Sustainability is to the 21st century what
safety was to the 20th century. Whilst Australia
leads the world in many initiatives, unfortunate-
ly, sustainability is not one of them.
In March, 2013, the European Union pub-
lished the DIN EN 16258 standard for Green
Logistics. This standard will enable companies
in the transport industry to calculate green-
house gas emissions for each freight delivery.
Freight forwarders in France, and suppliers to
France, will need to verify the CO2e emissions
generated by their respective transport activities
from July 2013 onwards. This will eventually
come to Australia.
In the UK, leading soft drink producers and
suppliers, including Coca Cola and Britvic,
have signed onto the Soft Drink Sustainability
Roadmap initiative, a supply chain study that
aims to reduce the environmental footprint of
the industry’s products and operations. Here
in Australia, the industry (including Coca Cola)
is fighting a nationwide deposit-based recy-
cling scheme.
Australia is just now rolling out an e-waste
strategy under the National Television and
Computer Recycling Scheme, whereas Europe
and the UK have had one for a number of years
now. How many people in Australia are aware of
this scheme, let alone know the location of their
nearest drop-off depot?
Sustainability is more than just tofu and kaftans, it is smart business.
More than tofu and kaftans
Craig Beaver
MHD Supply Chain Solutions — September / October 2013
S UPPLY C H AI N38
2. The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX)
Corporate Governance Principles and
Recommendations (Revised Principles)
defines environmental and sustainability
risks as Material Business Risks. Under the
Commonwealth Corporations Act 2001,
company officers have a duty of care, and
must exercise due diligence and fiduciary
responsibility, to manage these material
business risks. In December 2012, the Pike
River Coal Mine Royal Commission recom-
mended that individual company officers
consider, if asked, how they could demonstrate
to a legal authority their own personal duty of
care and due diligence to manage material
business risk (around safety). Even though
the inquiry was held in New Zealand, these
findings will have serious repercussions for any
company officer here in Australia.
The definition of officer can be found in
Section 9 of the Corporations Act 2001 (C’th),
which provides that officers are persons:
• of a prescribed position (e.g. director,
company secretary etc.).
• who make, or participate in making, decisions
that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of
the business of the corporation.
• who have the capacity to affect significantly
the corporations financial standing.
• in accordance with whose instructions or
wishes the directors of the corporation are
accustomed to act.
In the broader context, every Australian company
officer (under the widest definition of the Act)
should ask themselves, if required, how they
could demonstrate to a relevant authority their
own personal due diligence, duty of care and
fiduciary responsibility in managing the material
business risk of sustainability, as well as safety.
Leading by example
One Australian company that is future-proofing
its business is Victoria’s Ferguson Plarre
Bakehouses, a fifth-generation family-owned
business that has survived a depression and
two world wars in the 20th century, and the
recessions and a GFC in the 21st century. Its
operation consists of a franchised bakery chain
supplied by a central bakery facility at Keilor
Park, an outer suburb of Melbourne.
By embracing sustainable business practices
to future-proof its business, Ferguson Plarre
Bakehouses have reduced:
• Landfill by 92%
• Electricity consumption by 62%
• Gas consumption by 76%
• Water use by 2.5 million litres, and
• Staff turnover from 10% pa to 2% pa.
(Source: Sustainable Baking by Ralph Plarre)
In addition to the resultant efficiencies and
cost savings, this has allowed Ferguson Plarre
Bakehouses to reduce its carbon emissions
by more than 5,000 tonnes of CO2e annually.
Smart business.
The range of initiatives in its emissions abate-
ment programme, at the purpose-built head
baking facility at Keilor Park, includes:
• Rainwater toilet flushing for office and staff
amenities.
Ralph Plarre (4th generation) and Steve Plarre (5th generation) planting trees as part of their
Greenfleet carbon offset program.
MHD Supply Chain Solutions — September / October 2013
S UPPLY C H AI N 39
39
3. 40
40
• Solar-heated hot water for office and staff
facilities.
• High-efficiency air conditioning for offices,
staff amenities and climate controlled produc-
tion areas involving outside air optimisation to
reduce power consumption.
• All hot water required for cake production
is pre-heated by energy recovered from the
refrigeration systems. This equates to a saving
of over 600 tonnes of CO2e per year through
reduced gas consumption.
• Use of the heat recovered from freshly baked
products (using exhaust fans and the heat
taken from cooling tunnels) to heat the main
production area in winter and to minimise
heat-bleed into refrigerated areas. This
equates to a saving of over 2,700 tonnes of
CO2e per year through a 60% reduction in
power usage per square metre.
• Installation of fully integrated SCADA
(Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition)
energy monitoring system to allow real-time
monitoring of all energy consumption, both
individually and collectively to allow full moni-
toring of all energy consumption of electricity
and gas and the resulting CO2e emissions.
This information is displayed on a screen in
a high-traffic corridor and brings an amazing
level of awareness to the team.
• Over 100,000 litres of rainwater tanks plumbed
for irrigation and truck washing, resulting in
approximately 625,000 litres saved per annum.
• Introduction of Victoria’s first diesel hybrid
truck with Sustainability Victoria. The
company will measure fuel use and bench-
mark the results against the fleet to assess
the effectiveness of this technology and the
likely payback period. Specialised insulation
was sourced for the cabin to reduce weight
and the associated emissions from carrying
such weight.
• The latest bulk raw material handling equip-
ment eliminates approx. 450 bags/week from
the system and halves the company’s require-
ments for land fill. Co-mingled waste has
already been reduced by 50%.
• A wastage regime that sees 95% of all waste
directed back into recycling streams (includ-
ing plastic, steel and assorted metal, card-
board, and food).
• Certified carbon neutral paper used to make
all cake bags and an oxo-degradable additive
to all plastic bags to help accelerate decom-
position while maintaining the strength neces-
sary to hold the weight of a large cake.
• An approval to go ahead with a 99kW solar
panel installation, which will generate 10%
of all power required to bake their award
winning cakes and savouries.
All of these initiatives had very positive ROI
and payback periods ranging from one to
five years. These demonstrated and validated
cost savings are a direct result of Ferguson
Plarre Bakehouses having a robust, properly
balanced and integrated sustainability strategy.
Smart business.
In addition, having this robust, properly
balanced and integrated sustainability
strategy has greatly improved Ferguson Plarre
Bakehouses safety performance. Between
2010-11 and 2012-13 its reported inci-
dents have reduced 58% (from 33 to 14
per annum). Similarly, between 2011-12
and 2012-13 its reported near misses have
dropped 28% (from 29 to 21 per annum). This
has meant a direct 25.7% savings in its insur-
ance premium. The projected average industry
premium rate it operates in is 3.8860%;
Ferguson Plarre Bakehouses’ premium rate
is of the order of 1.8394%. This is just smart
sustainable business!!
In conclusion, sustainable manufacturing,
sustainable operations and sustainable supply
chain management is just smart business that
can deliver a very real and very tangible return
on investment when you have the properly
balanced and integrated sustainability strategy.
Sustainable business is just smart business.
Craig Beaver is the principal of The Great
Southern Land Consulting Group. For more infor-
mation call 0409 975 335 or email cdbeaver@
bigpond.net.au.
For more information about Ferguson Plarre
Bakehouses’ sustainability performance and
awards visit www.fergusonplarre.com.au/History/
Greenhouse-Challenge.html
MHD Supply Chain Solutions — September / October 2013
S UPPLY C H AI N40