Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices BSBSUS301A Learner Guide Momentum Consulting Training Materials

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1 Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices Learner Guide Momentum Consulting Training Materials Element 2: Set targets for improvement

2 Website: Momentum Consulting (Qld) Pty Ltd Copyright Notice No part of this module may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording or by an information retrieval system without written permission from Momentum Consulting (Qld) Pty Ltd. Legal action may be taken against any person who infringes their copyright through unauthorised copying. These terms are subject to the conditions prescribed under the Australia Copyright Act, Copying for Educational Purposes The Australian Copyright Act, 1968 allows 10% of this module to be copied by any educational institute for educational purposes, provided that the institute (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. For more information, info@copyright.com.au or visit for other contact details. Disclaimer Momentum Consulting (Qld) Pty Ltd has made a great effort to ensure that this material is free from error or omissions. However, you should conduct your own enquiries and seek professional advice before relying on any fact, statement or matter contained in this module. Momentum Consulting (Qld) Pty Ltd is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage as a result of material included or omitted from this material. Information in this module is current at the time of publication. Momentum Consulting Version 4 August

3 If civilisation has risen from the stone age, it can rise again from the wastepaper age. Jacques Barzun French Born American Scholar and Author Set targets for improvement Once you understand your current situation you are in a position to work with relevant stakeholders to develop a sustainability policy and goals and agree on priorities. You can then develop broad strategies and a range of programs to reach them. For your organisation this may include: Customers Employees Regulating bodies Local City Council Government Local Community Suppliers Business Associations Specialists outside the organisation The active engagement of stakeholders requires two way communication. The setting of goals should be a collaborative process that ensures the opinions and needs of the stakeholders are heard and responded to. The gathered input from your stakeholders will be used as the foundation for setting environmental priorities. Priority setting will allow your organisation to achieve greater environmental benefits for its money and efforts. Momentum Consulting Version 4 August

4 Goals and targets You know where you are. Where do you want to be? Goalposts to aim for and a dashboard of specific measures of success or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), give the organisation and other interested parties a way to track improvements and find further opportunities to develop. The input output outcome impact framework is a useful measuring system whereby goals are set and progress measured in each of those four areas: Inputs could be financial or technological or they could be initiatives such as a green office program or research and development of new green products, services or systems Outputs are what are produced or done with the inputs. They allow you to see the immediate results of your inputs or how they have been used or applied Outcomes are short term results from the outputs Impacts are the longer term results of your efforts. Encourage your organisation to join an environmental industry association. This will allow your organisation to access the latest developments in your industry. Industry Association provides the opportunity for you to take part in training programs and seminars directly concerned with environmental business practices relevant to your industry. Alternatively, your organisation may join a general environmental program such as Greenhouse Challenge Plus which aims to encourage organisations to incorporate greenhouse issues into their business decision making process. Greenhouse Challenge Plus is managed by Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. It allows organisations to gain access to advice from environmental experts and industry advisors and the chance to network with and learn from other members. Members have access to information and tools that have been developed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money. Momentum Consulting Version 4 August

5 Activity Four 1. List at least five various ways that organisations can access stakeholders input. 2. What are the advantages of joining an industry association or an environmental program? Momentum Consulting Version 4 August

6 Alternate solutions An environmental management strategy s objective is to make the workplace effects safe and to eliminate environmental hazards or at the very least reduce the risk to an acceptable level. Once the hazards have been identified you need to evaluate alternate solutions. We can use the same strategies when determining how to deal with environmental issues in the workplace as we do for Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) issues. The first response should be to remove the impact and then if this is not possible, then follow the hierarchy of controls. The hierarchy of controls ranks control activities in which order they should be considered for adoption. The five levels in the hierarchy of control are: 1. Elimination Using this control the source of the environmental impact is removed. 2. Substitution Where elimination is not possible substitution should be used. For example: replacing a toxic substance with a less toxic or organic one. 3. Engineering Equipment, work processes, tasks, machinery and plant can be redesigned to reduce or eliminate either worker risk or environmental risk. For example: airborne pollutants may be controlled by installing ventilation systems that filter pollutants from the air. 4. Administration Administrative processes can be used to redesign and adjust jobs around environmental considerations. For example: material handling techniques that prevent generation of dust. 5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Protective equipment includes protective suits, gloves, boots, face masks and respirators. Momentum Consulting Version 4 August

7 As with WH&S the environmental risk management will involve the processes: 1. Identify the hazard 2. Assess the risk 3. Implement control measures 4. Monitor and review. Proactive communication and consultation are key at each level to encourage active employee participation in the environmental risk management process. 3M s Smart Strategy In 1975, 3M placed scrubbers on smokestacks to eliminate contaminants, treated effluents before releasing waste water and segregated solid waste in order to incinerate some of it, rather than dump it. Then 3M changed its strategy. It decided that rather than fixing the back end it would be better and easier to prevent pollution entirely. 3M began a program called Pollution Prevention Pays or 3P. A guiding principle was that any action to reduce pollution should also save money. The first 20 pollution prevention programs saved many tones of pollutants and $11 million. In its first year 3P saved the company $US1 billion. 30 years later, 3P has implemented almost 5000 projects and made environmental savings of a billion kilograms of pollutants, including reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds from 58,060 in 1988 to less than 5,000 tonnes today. Momentum Consulting Version 4 August

8 Setting targets Targets are signposts of where your organisation wants to go and what you hope to achieve. Setting of short and long term goals will assist you to measure your progress when implementing resource efficiency strategies. More and more organisations are using KPIs to set goals. KPIs are values that can be measured objectively such as tonnes of paper saved per year or litres of water used. When setting targets you should follow the SMART criteria. That is, targets should be: SPECIFIC - Specific targets have more chance of being achieved than general or vague goals. They focus efforts and clearly define what is expected. MEASURABLE - One of the fundamental purposes of a goal is to measure success. Measurable goals can be compared to actual results; they help people to stay on track and focused. AGREED Employees are less likely to commit to goals they have no input into. By having input staff have ownership of the targets and will endeavour to achieve them. ACTION Clearly defined steps required to achieve your goal. OR RELEVANT Goals need to be relevant, they should complement the needs, culture and goals of the organisation. For Mater, a corporate objective is to seek to minimise the impact on the environment in the delivery of its services. TIMELY - Well conceived goals will include a timeframe. Without a set timeframe there is no sense of urgency to take action. Momentum Consulting Version 4 August

9 Activity Five 1. Describe two hierarchy of controls implemented at your organisation to address environmental issues. 2. What are KPIs and how can they be used in setting targets? 3. Rewrite the following targets so they conform to SMART criteria: a. ABC company will reduce its water consumption b. My organisation will use more Earth Saver stationery items Momentum Consulting Version 4 August