News & Views

As the official Sustainability partner to Extreme-E Motor Racing, EY is assisting on their mission to be more sustainable. Immediately we think of minimising fuel, and part of that mission is using electric SUV's, however the most significant emissions arise from air freight for racing teams and vehicles and the EY sustainability team has helped Extreme-E to develop carbon accounting for the next series of races. They also consider where the races are held, and how long term social and environment impacts can be managed after the race has been completed. See a really interesting overview of this little heard-of venture HERE. Oh, and by the way, Extreme-E will also be the first racing championship to have teams with equal number of male and female drivers.

For the first time, several major US companies will collaborate  to buy nearly 850,000 gallons of high-integrity sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) certificates.

The SAF involved in this purchase transaction is produced by World Energy and reduces lifecycle carbon emissions by 84% compared to conventional jet fuel. This  will assist airline JetBlue reduce an estimated 8,500 tons of CO2 on a lifecycle basis and  hopefully signals a huge commitment to the SAF market. See more about this news HERE.

Recently Pride in Diversity produced the first in a series of factsheets regarding Trans and Gender Diverse Recruitment in Australia. This fact sheet looks at some of the difficult challenges faced by trans and gender diverse people in securing meaningful work aligned with their skills and experience which are predominantly faced during the initial stages of the application and recruitment process. The fact sheet also provides useful action points for employers to take to help trans and gender diverse people overcome these specific challenges. See their fact sheet HERE.

As we mark the 10th anniversary of the factory collapse at Rana Plaza in Bangladesh, a tragedy that left more than 1,000 people dead and galvanised a global conversation on companies' responsibility to eliminate modern slavery in their operations and in their supply chain, Dr James Cockayne, the first Anti-Slavery Commissioner in NSW explains his role and talks about what business and government can do to take action on Modern Slavery. Listen to the podcast from the FS Sustainability newsletter 'The Greener Way' HERE.

Waste from electronics, such as cell phones, computers and other digital devices, represents the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, increasing at an alarming pace of 2Mt per year. Additionally, 80-85% of e-waste is not formally collected, and that which is, is usually sent to developing countries, intensifying human rights issues. Research from EY suggests that Current economic systems assume a constant supply of natural resources, resulting in a “take-make-use-dispose” linear model (Centre 2015). Circular business models, on the other hand, focus on redesigning product-service systems to enhance business capabilities and market competitiveness. A shift toward circular economy models can help companies not only access untapped financial and business opportunities but also lower their overall environmental impact. See their analysis HERE

Following the Law Society of England and Wales publication of Climate Change Guidance notes, 'Legal Charter 1.5' has also been launched.  Legal Charter 1.5 has been developed collaboratively – by a group of large commercial/corporate law firms, including signatories and dialogue partner firms who are AusLSA members. 

The launch of this Charter comes at a crucial time for the legal sector, where a credible, integrated approach to sustainability and commitments to mitigate the impacts of climate change have never been more important. See the website HERE.

The Law Society of England and Wales has published guidance notes for all it's members which can be used to pre-empt the climate change risks to their own firms and clients which will enable them to do business competently and compliantly. Climate change issues no longer just apply to environmental lawyers - it needs to be considered for every client and every matter that a firm will open. The guidance notes, divided into firm side and client side advice, has lessons that can be applied to Australian firms as well as UK firms, and is well worth reading HERE.

As many countries are implementing legislation to try and eradicate false or over-exaggerated green claims, trying to put the stopper back in this bottle has uncovered a whole host of different types of 'greening'.

See an article that describes at least 6 greenwashing terms, plus a couple of other quick Climate Change stories from Thomson Reuters HERE.

A recent survey has shown that less than 10 percent of companies report on disability in their demographics and even less in company surveys, and that disabled employees see themselves as being less productive and less likely to achieve career progression.

Key to addressing this and to create a safe space for disabled employees is to nominate a disability champion who can publicly advocate for themselves and others across the company. See a discussion about this from HR Leader HERE

Given that up to 90% of a company's carbon emissions come from the supply chain, join this Sustainable Brands webinar to find out how to mitigate risks and unlock potential in the supply chain to meet sustainability targets. Learn why the supply chain is crucial to meeting sustainability goals and how to engage suppliers. Note this Webinar is on 25 April (Anzac Day), however if you register, you can get a recording of the session.